


A Band of Sisters.

by steeleye



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Shichinin no Samurai | Seven Samurai (1954)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/F, Humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-07-11 12:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 56,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19927912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steeleye/pseuds/steeleye
Summary: More than six hundred years ago Buffy lost her fight against 'The First'. Now bands of raiding 'Injuns' and demons roam the country terrorising the peaceful farmers, only the slayers stand between the people and complete ruin.





	1. Chapter 1

A Band of Sisters.

Steeleye.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or 'Seven Samurai' I write these stories for fun not profit.

 **Crossover:** Akira Kurosawa's classic movie 'Seven Samurai'.

 **Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar:** Written in glorious English-English which is different to American-English.

 **Timeline:** Alternate Universe.

 **Words:** Eighteen chapters of 2500+ words.

 **Warnings:** Can't think of any off hand.

 **Summary:** More than six hundred years ago Buffy lost her fight against 'The First'. Now bands of raiding 'Injuns' and demons roam the country terrorising the peaceful farmers, only the slayers stand between the people and complete ruin.

0=0=0=0

**Sunnydale, 2003.**

“GO! MOVE!” Buffy yelled as she pushed the last few surviving potentials towards the stairs that led back up into the school, “RUN! GET OUTTA HERE!” Turning away from the frightened girls, she saw Faith leaning against the wall of the cavern clutching the sword wound in her leg, “You too Faith...”

“No way B,” with an effort Faith pushed herself away from the wall and limped over to stand in front of Buffy, “I'm staying...”

“No,” Buffy cast a glance towards the edge of the stone outcrop where they were standing, any moment now the Uber-vamps would be back; they'd stopped them once but it had cost them, Spike, Wood and more than half of the potentials were dead. “Listen,” Buffy grabbed Faith by the shoulders, “you've got to get out of here, find Angel and set up that second front for me...” Buffy looked deeply into Faith's eyes, “...I'm relying on you to keep the fight going!”

“I love ya Buffy,” Faith replied as she realised she was going to have to leave, “I think I always have...”

“I love you too,” Buffy replied as she pulled Faith into an embrace, “even when we were trying to kill each other.”

“No ya don't,” Faith said into Buffy's ear, “but it's cool to hear ya say it...”

“Go,” Buffy let go of Faith and pushed her gently towards the stairs.

“I won't forget ya B,” Faith called as she started to climb the stairs.

“I won't forget you either Faith,” Buffy said as she turned to face the Uber-vamps as they clambered over the lip of the outcrop.

Picking up the Slayer Scythe, Buffy hefted it in her hands, it was such a pity things hadn't worked out. It'd been a good plan but the spell hadn't worked and now she was going to die. Buffy supposed she should think of something witty or clever to say, but all she could come up with was...

“There we go again...”

0=0=0=0

Stumbling out into the corridor, Faith looked to her left to see Harris take the head off a Bringer with his sword.

“Way to go Harris,” Faith chuckled as she watched the Bringer fall, “HEY HARRIS!” she yelled down the corridor, “ITS OVER, GET OUT, RUN!”

Watching for a moment to make sure that Xander had heard her, Faith turned and limped towards the exit. Her plan was simple; get outside, find a car, hot wire it and drive as fast as she could to LA. After that, well, she'd see how things turned out.

0=0=0=0

Taking a swing at the Bringer, Xander not for the first time wondered why they couldn't use guns. These guys were more or less human, he told himself as the blade of his sword cut into the Bringer's neck, guns would work on them. 

“HEY HARRIS!”

Turning Xander saw Faith standing in the corridor about a dozen yards away, there was a lot of blood on her leg.

“ITS OVER, GET OUT, RUN!”

He waved an acknowledgement, if Faith said to run, that meant Buffy was dead and there was nothing anyone else could do to stop the Uber-vamps. Keeping a tight grip on his sword, he turned and grabbed hold of Dawn's wrist and started to drag her towards the door.

“What's going on!?” Dawn demanded as she struggled against the irresistible force that was Xander Harris.

“Buffy's dead, we lost, we're outta here!” Xander replied as he pulled Dawn out into the daylight where the Uber-vamps couldn't follow.

“NOOOOO!” Dawn wailed as she tried to rush back into the building.

But Xander kept a firm grip on her wrist, Dawn wasn't going anywhere without his say so. The last thing Buffy had told him to do was to make sure Dawn got out of this alive. Well, that was an order he was more than happy to obey. He'd find a car or a pick-up and drive; he didn't know where, north might be good, Portland, Seattle maybe out of the country, he had to get Dawn to safety. But first, he was going to find himself a gun!

0=0=0=0

Bursting into Principal Wood's office, Kennedy found Willow very much as she'd left her, lying on the floor in a state of magical exhaustion. Willow had done the spell that was supposed to turn all the potentials into slayers. There'd been a spectacular light show and Willow had fainted after telling her to get the Scythe to Buffy. Kennedy had taken the weirdly shaped weapon down to Buffy in the caverns below the school. One glance told her that the spell hadn't worked, Buffy had taken the Scythe and told everyone to get out.

Pushing a filling cabinet against the door, Kennedy tried to tell herself that she'd not got stronger, that it was just adrenaline at work. Rushing over to Willow she picked the sleeping witch up, again she told herself that Willow felt so light because of hysterical strength. Carrying her lover over to the window she put Willow down for a moment to break open the window. This time when the lock broke easily under her hand, Kennedy knew what had happened. The spell had worked, but the effects hadn't been instantaneous, it had taken time to come into effect, too much time. Lifting Willow through the window, Kennedy followed.

They had to get away, they had to get away and somehow organise the newly empowered slayers to stop The First. To achieve this they needed to get as far away from Sunnydale as quickly as possible. Lifting Willow easily in her arms, Kennedy ran towards the centre of town. Her plan was to find a car dealership, take the fastest car she could find and burn rubber for LAX and the first flight back to New York. As she ran, Kennedy congratulated herself for remembering one very good piece of advice her watcher had given her; never go into combat without your credit cards!

0=0=0=0

**Near Sunnidee, 2685 CE.**

It was near dusk on a late summer day when a Injun warband galloped along the tops of the cliffs that had once marked the coastline. The Warleader of the band signalled for her warriors to halt. They had ridden hard and far over the last few days and her braves were eager for loot. Their horses panted for breath as the riders gazed down on the defenceless village at the foot of the cliff.

“We'll raid this village!” Suzy Bloody-Hatchet cried eagerly as she pointed down at the seemingly deserted village; the warriors shouted their agreement but looked to the band's leader before making any move to attack.

“No!” Britney Long-Spear, the band's chosen warleader called, “We took their crops and valuables last autumn, they've nothing worth taking yet.”

“You're right,” Suzy Bloody-Hatchet agreed quickly, “we'll come back once the harvest is done.”

Without further comment Britney Long-Spear waved her arm and pointed to the north. Putting her heels to her horse's side she galloped off towards the woods that hid the overgrown ruins of the ancient town which had once stood near the cliffs. With only a moment's hesitation the rest of the band followed her leaving only Suzy Bloody-Hatchet gazing down at the tempting target below. Just for a moment she considered raiding the village by herself, but she soon rejected the idea. Britney was probably right, the villagers would have little that would be worth taking; she wouldn't risk her warleader's anger for a few sacks of rotten corn and some scalps. Turning her horse, Suzy followed the rest of the band towards the woods. As she rode off she didn't noticed the village woman who'd been hiding close by and had heard their plans.

0=0=0=0

The word 'plaza' would have been too grand a name to describe the open area at the centre of the village, yet this was what the villagers called it. The ground was dusty at the moment with it being late summer, but as soon as the autumn rains came the ground would quickly turn to mud. Just now the plaza was occupied by almost the entire adult population of the village who stood in a despondent crowd near the raised area in the centre of the plaza. No one stood on the raised area itself; that was where the whipping post stood where those who'd fallen foul of village justice were flogged. It was also where the Inspector and her Constables stood when they came to pass on the Governor's new laws and collect the villager's taxes.

The houses that surrounded the plaza where made of rough, wooden planks that were stained various shades of grey by the passage of sun and rain. The wooden tiled roofs were green with soft mould, it was much cooler and wetter in Fornia than it had ever been in the past. Behind the houses were neatly tended vegetable gardens, but in the sties and animal pens there were no pigs or goats, they'd been taken long ago by the Injuns. In fact, apart from a few scrawny chickens that scratched for food on the edges of the plaza the only animal that had survived the raids was an old broken down horse that was too ancient for a raider to even consider taking. The villagers stood silently in a clump not knowing what to do or say; the news that the Injuns would be back after the harvest to take what meagre possessions that remained to them had left them fearful and stunned. Life was hard enough for a farmer without raiders turning up to loot, rape and kill every year. When eventually someone did speak their voice was full of despair.

“The Mother and the Saints have abandoned us!” wailed a woman from the back of the crowd.

“Taxes, war, forced labour, drought...” called another, “...and now the Injuns are returning, the Mother must want us to die!”

“I'd rather die!” a still attractive woman in her late twenties, cried out from the middle of the group.

“The Governor does nothing to protect us,” a slightly older woman named Ariana pointed out sadly.

“They should help us as well as tax us,” said a farmer fresh from the fields, the crowd agreed with her eagerly.

“The Inspector and the Constables only ever turn up after the Injuns have raided,” explained another farmer, “or when they want their taxes.”

The rest of the villagers muttered their agreement to this seemingly incontrovertible law of nature.

“We'd do better to give our crops to the Injuns and hang ourselves!” cried a heavily pregnant woman as she pushed herself to the front of the crowd, “What hope have we?” she demanded, “They stole our Beast,” she sobbed as she rested her hand on her belly, “without a new Beast there will be no more children and the village will die...what's the point in trying to survive?”

“Maybe then the Governor will care about us if we did die,” Ariana observed gloomily as the crowd fell silent for a moment.

“Let's make spears,” Katie, a young woman in her early twenties said as she addressed the villagers, “Kill all the Injuns!”

“You can't!” gasped Grace, she was a woman in her mid-forties who had been worn down by hard work and caring for too many children, she sniffed loudly and looked away when Katie turned her hot eyed gaze on her.

“That's impossible,” Ariana observed almost too quietly for people to hear.

“You kill injured soldiers and slayers if you catch them,” Katie pointed out bitterly, “why not Injuns?”

Katie lunged towards Ariana as if to strike her, however, two burly villagers managed to grab her and pull her to one side before any blows were struck.

“This is no time to argue,” called, Nicole, a friend of Katie's as what passed for calm returned to the plaza.

“They'd kill us all if we lost,” Ariana explained, “even the pregnant mothers and the children.”

“Anything's better than this!” Katie shouted as she struggled with Nicole for a moment, “Either we kill them or they kill us!”

Katie fought free of Nicole's hands but made no further move to attack Ariana.

“We were born to suffer,” Ariana observed fatalistically, “it's our fate.”

Katie sat down on the dusty ground and buried her face in her hands, defeated.

“If they come, lets give them the crops without a struggle,” a woman who'd once owned most of the pigs in the village said slowly, “But we'll ask them to leave us enough to live on...we'll beg them on our knees...”

“Do you think they'll listen?” Katie demanded as she climbed back to her feet, “Remember what we've suffered to keep the little we have!”

The villagers turned their eyes from Katie unable or unwilling to meet her fiery gaze. Standing for a moment Katie grew more and more frustrated with her neighbours. Finally when she couldn't stand their frightened, dull faces any more she turned and pushed her way through the crowd until she was clear and then headed off towards her house but stopped after only a few steps. Standing and thinking about the hopelessness of the situation, Katie sat down in the dust again and started to sob in a mixture of anger and defeat. Trotting after her, Nicole stopped in indecision as she stood over her sobbing friend, she turned to look back at the crowd of villagers who still stood in a silent huddle not knowing what to do.

“Lets go to Alexandra,” Nicole cried, “we'll ask her what we should do!”

Going over to where Katie still squatted, Nicole helped her friend to her feet as the villagers moved in a body towards Alexandra's mill.

0=0=0=0

The mill owner was the oldest and some said the wisest woman in the village, it was also said that almost everyone who lived in the village was related to her in some way as she'd had so many children over the years. Of course now she was very old and didn't run the mill any more, she left that to her oldest daughter, Annabelle, who was herself well into her fifties and was expected to pass on the running of the mill to one of her own daughters in a few years time. 

The mill itself stood outside the village proper and was the biggest, most heavily constructed building for miles around. The great millstones within were driven by a twenty foot water wheel which was turned by the water directed along a chute from the great fish ponds which were fed by a river. They'd been dug so long ago that everyone believed they'd always been there. Of course now there were only a few fish left in the ponds, most had been caught and eaten after the last time the Injuns had raided. The villagers arrived outside the mill to be confronted by Annabelle who told them that they couldn't all come into the house. They'd have to choose four or five representatives to put their questions to her mother. After a little discussion and pushing of unwilling women to the front of the crowd, Katie, Ariana, Grace and Nicole were chosen to speak for the village to the mill owner.

0=0=0=0

“Some want to bargain with them,” Ariana, who'd sort of elected herself as the group's spokeswoman said after outlining the problem to Alexandra, “but if you give a wolf a leg he'll take your arm too...they'll always come back for more...”

“They'll easily defeat us if we fight!” wailed Grace.

“So we'll die fighting!” Katie yelled at her sister representatives, “Without food we'll die anyway!”

“We'll fight,” Alexandra said after a few moment's thought as her old, watery eyes gazed at the four villagers before her.

“We can't fight,” whispered Grace just loud enough for everyone to hear, “we're farmers not soldiers.”

“We'll hire slayers,” Alexandra explained.

“Whoever heard of such a thing!?” Nicole gasped, “Slayers are too proud to fight for peasants and what will we pay them with?”

“Years ago”,” Alexandra said slowly and quietly so everyone had to stain to hear her, “when you were all small children, I remember the villages near here were burnt down by bandits.” the old woman paused as she remembered those far off days when demons and monsters still roamed the ruins above the cliffs behind the village, “As we fled to safety I saw a remarkable thing...one village remained untouched...it had hired slayers.”

“A rich village,” Grace pointed out, “If we can only afford to pay in food, then what shall we eat?”

“We'll eat less,” Katie stepped forward.

“Slayers are very proud, would they accept food as payment?” Grace wanted to know.

“If we can only afford to feed them,” Alexandra chuckled as she exposed toothless gums, “then find hungry slayers...even bears leave the forest when they are hungry...”

“Huh?” chorused Katie, Ariana, Grace and Nicole in confusion.

0=0=0=0

**Oxnade, Eastern Fornia.**

Her mother had named her Amanda for 'St Amanda the Confounded'. Just at the moment, however, the only thing that was 'confounding' Amanda was whether she had enough money left to pay for a bed and food for the next few nights and what would she do if she hadn't? Over the summer months she'd hired on with the Governor's army to fight the demons that still lived in the ancient ruins of the City of Angels. For a moment Amanda wondered how the place had got such a name, as far as she could see it should be called 'The City of Devils'. Not that there was much to show that a city had once stood there; only a few tumbled stones and walls remained. But, the ruins went on for miles in all directions it must have been a magnificent sight when it was more than just a few toppled walls sticking out of the undergrowth.

Whatever, Amanda sighed as she walked on sore feet along Oxnade Main Street, there were a lot less of The First's servants now than there had been during the spring. No doubt the demon's numbers would increase over the winter but there wouldn't be as many next year as this. Eventually the Governor's forces would cleanse the area of hell-spawn, but that day was still several years in the future and Amanda doubted that she would live long enough to see the end of the fighting.

The Governor's quartermasters paid well for the services of experienced slayers like herself. But with the wages she received came the 'honour' of leading the Governor's troops into the liars of the demons and breaking the back of any resistance before the soldiers came in to finish the job. This year Amanda had seen far too many young, inexperienced slayers die as they led the fight against The First's forces. Sometimes Amanda wondered if the Governor was trying to kill off all the slayers in this part of Fornia; but that would be foolishly short sighted, she told herself. What would happen if The First ever came back and there weren't enough slayers left to oppose him?

The town of Oxnade was a wealthy, busy place. The buildings that lined Main Street were well built, some of them were even painted. The goods in the shop windows (yes there was real glass, thin and clear in the windows, something she'd not seen outside of the capital, Sanfrisco) were of good quality and at the moment well out of her price bracket. The merchants and shopkeepers here were making a lot of money out of the never ending war against The First; unlike herself who actually had to face the fiends from hell. Yes, the Governor paid well, but somehow prices always seemed to increased during the 'War Months' to eat away at her pay like a mouse nibbling its way through a wheel of cheese.

Walking past the scarlet and gold painted saloon with its laughing customers, strong drink and smiling saloon girls, Amanda paused for just a moment. The price of even the smallest room at the saloon would use up her remaining money in less than a week. Plus she wasn't so sure that she even wanted to stay at the saloon. These days she valued a good night's sleep, unlike in her younger years when she could party all night and fight all day with only a few hours rest to see her through. Now her bones ached if she didn't get a good rest at the end of the day and she'd be bad tempered all the next day if she didn't get a good five or six hours sleep at night.

No, the saloon wasn't for her. Walking on down the street Amanda noticed several eating houses, all of which were charging too much for too little. There was a weapons store, Amanda paused to look in the window. A selection of business-like bows, swords, knives and even a couple of the new firearms greeted her eyes and she immediately remembered that her own weapons were in need of some repair work after the summer's fighting; another expense she couldn't really afford. Tutting to herself she moved on along the boardwalk and on past the sheriff's office. Again she paused this time to look at the posters that were pinned to the wall. If the worst came to the worst she could earn a few hundred d’lars by hunting down thieves and murderers. As a slayer she wasn't supposed to, but most sheriffs turned a blind eye glad to be spared the bother of chasing these criminals down. 

Feeling the weight of her not too weighty purse, Amanda thought that the day she turned into a common bounty hunter might not be that far off. However, it was something she could do for years to come, even now, in her late thirties, Amanda was more than a match for merely 'human' opposition. Noticing one of the Sheriff's deputies standing a few yards away and not making any secret of the fact that she was watching the veteran slayer, Amanda smiled at the young woman and walked over to her.

“Good-day Deputy,” Amanda greeted the young woman pleasantly enough and was rewarded with a reluctant smile.

“Good-day, to y'self, Slayer, what can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you could direct me to a clean and cheap” Amanda stressed the word, “boarding house?”

“Cheap, huh?” the deputy gave Amanda a bemused look, “Just how cheap?”

“Very,” Amanda admitted in a low voice.

For a moment the Deputy looked Amanda up and down; she noted her worn clothes and shoes, the blanket roll across her shoulders that proclaimed how she'd spent the last few months fighting in the Governor's army, she also noted how clean and shiny Amanda's sword and knife were.

“Been fighting out East?” asked the Deputy her voice softening a little.

“Uh-huh,” Amanda nodded.

“Clean and cheap you say?”

“Uh-huh,” Amanda repeated.

“You should try Ma' Mackenzie's place,” the deputy pointed to a side street a little further along the main road, “she always has a soft bed for slayers who're down on their luck...tell her Deputy Diaz sent you.”

“Thank-you, Deputy,” Amanda smiled her thanks before turning and following the deputy's directions. As she walked Amanda repeated the words of an ancient poem that her mother had taught her when she'd found out her daughter was going to be a slayer.

“I went into a public-house to get a drink of beer,  
The publican she ups an' sez, "We serve no slayers here."  
The girls behind the bar they laughed and giggled fit to die,   
So I outs into the street again and to myself sez I:  
O it's Slayer this, an' Slayer that, an' "Slayer, go away";  
But it's "Thank you, Miss Slayer", when the demons come out to play,  
The demons come out to play, me girls, the demons come out to play,  
O it's "Thank you, Miss Slayer", when the demons come out to play.”*

0=0=0=0

*: Based on 'Tommy', with apologise to Rudyard Kipling and of course Private T Atkins. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Oxnade.**

The four villagers had arrived in Oxnade late the previous afternoon. They'd walked along Main Street their eyes and mouths wide open in wonder, Oxnade was the biggest town that any of them had ever seen. In fact it was the only town that any of them had ever seen. They stared in amazement at all the goods in the windows of the stores and were nearly run down by a couple of the buggies and wagons that moved quickly up and down the busy street. Eventually they came to stand in front of the red painted saloon in the centre of town. The four farmers stood and marvelled at the gleaming red and gold paint work and the unimaginably bright lanterns that lit up the outside of the building.

Advancing nervously towards the door they peered inside to see a mixture of soldiers, travellers and townswomen laughing and drinking together. In the far corner a woman sat playing a piano while pretty, provocatively dressed young girls carried drinks to the tables and empty glasses back to the bar. This was almost too much for the villager's overloaded minds to deal with. The saloon's customers were drinking from receptacles made of glass! Why didn't the glass shatter, they asked themselves? How did the drinkers avoid cutting themselves on the sharp edges? This was obviously magic and not for the eyes of simple farmers like them. Just before they were about to flee for their lives, Nicole pointed to a woman leaning against the far end of the bar.

“There!” she whispered hoarsely, “A woman like that must be a slayer.”

The other three villagers followed the direction of Nicole's pointing finger. The woman at the bar was an impressive figure. The possible slayer had to be nearly six feet tall, her long almost black hair was tied back into a 'pony tail' a style favoured by slayers as it kept their hair out of their eyes when they were fighting. She had large breasts that went with her heavy figure, she wasn't fat but her clothes looked as if they hid some major muscles. The woman's clothes were also worn and patched, but looked clean as was the knife that she had tucked into the sash around her waist.

“Yes she looks like a slayer,” Ariana admitted grudgingly, “perhaps we should go in and speak to her.”

“Nooo!” cried Grace as she backed away from the door in case anyone pushed her and forced her to entry this den of magic and vice, “If we approach her in public she'll beat us for bringing shame on her.”

The other three villagers gave Grace a disdainful look and wondered why Alexandra had insisted that she was one of the party that had been sent to hire the slayers.

“Much as it pains me to admit it,” Katie sighed, “but I think Grace is right...”

“She is?” Nicole and Ariana chorused in surprise.

“Yes,” Katie nodded, “we all know slayers are haughty and proud. How would it look if she agreed to be hired to fight just for food and board?”

“Yes,” Nicole nodded sadly as she turned to gaze longingly towards Katie, “Katie is right, the slayer would be forced to beat us to preserve her honour whether she really wanted to or not!”

“I suppose you're right,” Ariana agreed reluctantly, “lets go find somewhere to sleep and leave hiring slayers until the morning.”

Muttering their agreement the four farmers walked away from the saloon. After a search that lasted less than five minutes (despite what the farmers thought, Oxnade wasn't really that big) they found a stable and for the princely sum of ten cents each the owner allowed them to sleep there as long as they didn't disturb the horses.

0=0=0=0

Feeling well rested after a good night's sleep in a comfortable bed, Amanda awoke to the smell of frying bacon. Having followed the deputy's directions the previous day she'd found Ma' Mackenzie's boarding house. Ma' Mackenzie it seemed was an older woman who ran the house with the help of her two teenage granddaughters. Their mother had been killed when the town's beast had broken free when she'd been riding him. After killing Mackenzie junior, a young slayer had killed the beast after it had broken out of its cage and killed the sheriff and two of her deputies. Of course this was more than ten years ago now, but the old woman still felt grateful to the slayer who had avenged her daughter's death. In return she tried to help slayers who were down on their luck.

Thanks to that nameless slayer, Amanda had a small, clean, room, a comfortable bed with fresh sheets and warm blankets all for the sum of twenty-five cents a night with breakfast included; lunch and dinner would cost her a d’lar a day extra. The prices that Ma' Mackenzie charged her were about half of what Amanda would have expected to pay elsewhere. As she washed and dressed that first morning she promised herself that she'd go to the local temple and say a prayer to the memory of that, no doubt, long dead slayer who was indirectly responsible for her good fortune. 

After a breakfast of bacon, eggs, beans, mushrooms and fresh baked bread (Ma' Mackenzie seemed to think Amanda was close to starvation so she piled her plate high with food) Amanda left the house to explore the town and find the local temple, she was always serious about repaying her debts. After a short search she did indeed find the local temple, it was a small building which looked in dire need of repair and a coat of paint. Leaving her sword by the door (she kept her knife tucked into her sash, slayers never went anywhere unarmed), Amanda stepped inside the dimly lit building and looked around. Her slayer eyes cut through the shadowy interior to show a place that although it was in some disrepair, had been recently swept and had fresh flowers placed on the alter at the far end of the big main room.

“Can I help you sister?” a quiet voice came from next to Amanda's elbow.

Forcing herself not to show any surprise, Amanda turned to look down at the rather cute, short priestess who'd suddenly appeared at her side.

“Good morning sister,” Amanda turned slightly to get a better look at the priestess.

Amanda's first impressions had been right, the priestess was indeed very cute, with big, blue eyes, short blonde hair (all priestess' wore there hair short). Although her robes hid her figure they couldn't effectively disguise the swell of her full bosom and Amanda found herself sighing a sigh that was full of yearning, if she was only twenty years younger... No, those thoughts were worthless now, if the priestess consented to spend the night with her it would only be out of duty and possibly pity. Realizing she'd not answered the young priestess' question Amanda dragged herself back to the present.

“I wish only to light a candle and say a prayer in memory of a nameless slayer who's actions resulted in some good fortune for me,” Amanda explained.

“Good,” the priestess smiled, she pointed towards the alter, “you'll find the candles to the right of the alter, I'm Tara if you need anything more just call.”

“Thank-you,” Amanda inclined her head in a small bow to the priestess before heading down the aisle towards the alter.

So, thought Amanda as she took a candle and slipped five cents into the little collection box next to the box of candles, 'Tara' is it? Most priestess' took the name of one of the ancient priestess' from the time before; Fornia was full of Willow's, Tara's and Amy's. It was similar to the way a lot of whores called themselves 'Cordelia', 'Ashley' or 'Harmony'. However, for some reason 'Amy' wasn't quite as popular as 'Willow' or 'Tara'. There were some who claimed that St Amy wasn't really one of the witches that had helped fight The First. To be honest, Amanda didn't care; all she did care about as she knelt in front of the alter to say her prayer, was how she might get the cute little priestess to share her bed for the night without it costing her an arm and a leg, the priestess would no doubt want a 'donation' for the repair of the temple roof or something as the price for her company.

Her candle lit and her prayers said, Amanda stood up and groaned as an old wound made itself felt. Turning back towards the door she saw the priestess standing in the doorway as if she was waiting for her, Amanda's hopes began to rise, perhaps the little priestess liked older slayers. One of the many tragedies of the 'First and Last Fight' was that St Willow and her lover, a slayer that history remembered as 'St Kennedy the Affluent', had died in each others arms as The First's minions overran and killed the slayers on that fateful day. Following St Willow's example, most priestess who did take partners chose to partner up with a slayer. Those who didn't choose to have a permanent partner weren't adversed to giving 'comfort' to any slayer that might take her fancy.

“So, slayer,” Tara smiled as Amanda approached, “what do you hope to find in our fair town of Oxnade?”

“Work,” Amanda shrugged, “and maybe a little comfort, I've grown too old to spend all my nights sleeping under the stars...”

“But the stars are so pretty!” exclaimed the priestess.

“And the rain is so cold and wet,” Amanda countered; Tara laughed, she had a pretty laugh like water tinkling over a water fall in a peaceful garden somewhere.

“I could offer you a job here,” Tara explained sadly as she looked up at Amanda through her eyelashes, “but this is a poor temple as you can see and I'd only be able to offer you bed and board.” Tara stepped right up to Amanda and laid her right hand lightly on Amanda's left breast, “but my bed is very big and also very comfortable.”

Thinking that St Buffy herself was smiling down on her, Amanda was just about to take the young priestess in her arms and kiss her when a commotion outside distracted her.

“Damn it!” Amanda cursed softly and reluctantly stepped away from Tara.

“What?” the disappointment in Tara's voice was plain to hear as she turned to see what Amanda was looking at.

Outside in the street, townswomen were rushing hither and yonder. Some were heading down the street curious to find out what all the fuss was about, while still others rushed in the other direction with fear in their eyes.

“What's going on?” Amanda picked up her sword and slipped it back into her sash as she stepped down from the temple porch.

“I don't know,” Tara stepped down beside her and slipped her hand into Amanda's left hand leaving her right free to draw her sword.

“Something...” Amanda stopped speaking as her senses picked up the familiar presence of a demon.

“Morgan Gonzales!” Tara called to a townswoman who was busy leaving the area, “What's going on?”

“A demon has taken a child and is threatening to ride her if we don't let it go, Reverend Sister,” Gonzales cried.

“The demon promises to let the child go?” Tara wanted clarification of the deal before it was made.

“No,” Gonzales shook her head, “but the demon promises not to ride the girl before he eats her...he says that at least she'll go to The Mother unstained by its evil.”

“That's big of it,” Amanda muttered under her breath as she loosened the sword in its scabbard.

“Agreed,” Tara watched as her parishioner scurried away along the street no doubt she was going home to check that her own children were safe, “Come slayer...”

“Yes I had been hoping to,” Amanda chuckled as she followed the priestess up the street towards the site of the disturbance.

“Oh!” Tara paused and turned to look at Amanda, “You must think me such a slut...”

“Never,” Amanda answered gallantly.

“I was offering you the comfort of my bed and I don't even know your name.”

“Amanda,” Amanda replied with a nod of her head.

“Ah, named for St Amanda the Confounded, yes?”

“Correct.”

“You know,” Tara said as she started to walk again, “I never fully understood what St Amanda was Confounded by, do you know?”

“No,” Amanda shook her head, “I'm as confounded as my namesake...but perhaps that's the point.”

Chuckling, Tara led Amanda around the side of a building before coming to a sudden halt. There in front of them was a large open area of sand surrounded by the backs of several buildings. At the moment the yard was full of frightened townspeople and deputies who were trying to keep the crowd away from a tumbled down shack at the far end of the yard from where Amanda and Tara stood.

“What's going on?” Tara asked several people and got a different answer from each of them.

What was clear was that a demon had broken into someone's house early that morning and had snatched a six year old child from her bed. As the sun was almost up the demon had decided to hide itself and his prey in the shack and make his escape the following night. Unfortunately for the demon a patrol of two deputies who were searching for the missing child found the demon and his captive. After a short fight which had left one deputy seriously injured, the uninjured deputy had rushed to inform the sheriff.

The sheriff now had the shack surrounded but was unwilling to risk the lives of her remaining deputies by making an attempt to free the child. It was a stand off; if the deputies rushed the shack the demon would probably kill the child and there was no guarantee that the sheriff and her deputies could kill the demon. If however the demon killed the child then the townspeople would burn down the shack with the demon inside. Even demons died when you set the house they were hiding in on fire.

“Slayer!”

Amanda looked around at the sound of the call to see Deputy Diaz walking quickly towards her.

“A slayer!?” the crowd gasped quietly as they turned to seek out the possible salvation of the stolen child.

Stepping forward, Amanda let the crowd see her sabre; only slayers carried swords like hers. Soldiers and constables carried bows or crossbows along with either a rapier or short sword, baton or stake. Only slayers carried the long, curved, heavy bladed sabre because only slayers were strong enough to take the head off a demon with a single swing of their sword.

“Thank The Mother you're here,” Diaz gasped as she stopped in front of Amanda, “please help us...”

Amanda smiled as the words of her mother's old poem came back to her mind once again.

“For it's Slayer this, an' Slayer that, an' 'Chuck 'er out, the whore!'” Amanda recited as a bitter little smile came to her lips, “But it's 'Please save our children!' when the hellhound’s at the door...”

“Okay,” Amanda drew her sword and was just about to advance on the shack when Tara put her hand on her arm and held her back.

“No!” she cried.

“No?” Amanda and Deputy Diaz looked at the busty priestess in confusion.

“If the demon sees or senses you coming” Tara explained, “he'll kill the child before he tries to kill you and as many people as he can get his claws on.”

“So what do you suggest?” Amanda wanted to know.

“A disguise,” Tara started to take off her priestessly robes, “wear my robes and he'll think you're a priestess come to negotiate.”

“Clever,” Diaz nodded in admiration.

“I suppose it could work,” Amanda admitted as she held up the robes that Tara had quickly taken off, they were 'one size doesn't fit all' so they'd hide her slayer outfit of trousers, sash and tunic.

“But won't the demon know she's not a priestess by her hair,” Diaz pointed out the flaw in the plan.

“True,” Tara agreed before looking up into Amanda's eyes, “I'll have to cut your hair.”

“No!” Amanda took a step away from Tara as her hand went automatically to her head.

“Brave slayer you are,” Tara pouted, “frightened to get her hair cut while a child's life hangs in the balance.”

“Oooooh!” Amanda wailed miserably; she knew Tara was right, “Oh all right,” she sighed at being defeated so easily, “but don't make a mess.”

“Vanity,” Tara smirked as she reached for the pouch on the belt around her waist, “thy name is St Buffy.”

“Heresy,” Amanda whispered.

“No it's not,” Tara led Amanda over to an upturned box and sat her down, “the Holy Mother Principal when I was a Novice often used to say that St Buffy the Brave should have been called St Buffy the Overly Fond of Shoes!” Tara sniggered as she produced a small pair of scissors from the pouch on her belt and started to cut Amanda's hair, “do you know how many pairs of shoes the legends say she had?”

“No,” Amanda sighed as she felt her hair being quickly cut off.

“At least three pairs, maybe more if you can believe some of the stories!” Tara sounded shocked and so she should be; most people managed with one or possibly two pairs of shoes and many did without any.

“While you're having this no doubt deeply important theological discussion,” Diaz sniggered, “I'll find the sheriff and tell her what's happening.”

“There,” moments later Tara brushed the cut hair from Amanda's shoulders, “you look like a proper priestess now.”

“Well,” Amanda ran her hand over her drastically shortened hair, “I suppose the grey doesn't show so much now.”

“Good!” Tara smiled brightly, “That's the way to think, always look on the bright side of life.”

“Whatever,” Amanda grumbled as she stood up and pulled the borrowed robes more closely around her, she picked up her sword, “where am I supposed to hide this?”

“Maybe if you take it out of its scabbard you can hide it under the robes?” Tara suggested.

“No,” Amanda shook her head as she handed Tara her weapon for safe keeping, “I'll have to use my knife.”

Amanda's knife had a wide, sharp blade about twelve inches long and it was good for cutting as well as stabbing, in fact she'd once taken a demon's head clean off with it but that had been long, long ago.

“Are you ready?” this came from the Sheriff, a short, stocky, grey haired woman with a five pointed metal star pinned to her shirt.

“As I'll ever be,” Amanda admitted as she adjusted her robes and knife one last time before starting to walk towards the shack, “Then it's Slayer this, and Slayer that, and 'Slayer, how's ya soul?'” she muttered under her breath, “But it's 'Thin brave line of heroes' when the drums begin to roll...”

0=0=0=0


	3. Chapter 3

**Oxnade.**

“Demon?” Amanda called softly as she slowly approached the shack where the monster was hiding.

“Stay back!” growled a voice from within.

“I've not come to kill you,” Amanda listened carefully; she could hear the sound of the demon's breathing and the child's quiet sobs, “I'm a priestess, I've just come to talk.”

“Talk?” the demon laughed nastily, “What is there to talk about? They let me go or I rip the brat in two!”

“The Sheriff won't let you go unless you prove that the child is still alive,” Amanda explained as she edged ever closer to the shack's door.

“Of course the brat's alive listen to it!” the demon did something to make the child scream and Amanda's blood froze in her veins. 

“That could be you mimicking the child,” Amanda replied as she tried to control her need to kill the monster; she was less than two paces from the door now if she could just get the demon to open the door her task would be much easier.

“You can't come in,” snapped the demon.

“I don't have to come in,” Amanda continued in a soft measured voice, “I just need to see that the child is still alive, you could show me by just opening the door and letting me see the child.”

There was no immediate reply from the demon and Amanda hoped he was thinking it over. It had been her experience that most demons weren't what she would call 'great thinkers' and she was hoping that the demon wouldn't see through her little subterfuge. There was a heart stopping squeak as the demon began to open the door and Amanda let out the breath she'd not realised she was holding. The door moved about six inches and then stuck, she could hear the demon muttering angrily as it struggled to open the door.

“Here let me help you with that,” Amanda said in a reasonable sounding voice as she stepped up to the door and pushed...really hard!

The door broke off its rusty hinges and smashed into the demon's face knocking him off his feet. The hell-fiend fell onto his back with the door on top of him. This gave Amanda the half second she needed to see that the child, while tied up and a little bloody, was still alive. With a roar of anger at being so easily fooled, the demon threw the door to one side and jumped to his feet. Turning to face Amanda he snarled viciously as he prepared to charge. The demon was vaguely 'man' sized and shaped, to a normal woman he would be a formidable foe, but to Amanda he was just another demon that didn't know he was dead yet.

Stepping forward in one long stride, Amanda took hold of the hilt of the demon's sword from where it hung from the wide belt around its waist. Stepping back again, she drew the demon's weapon from its scabbard before he even knew what was happening. Suddenly finding himself facing a priestess who'd somehow made his own sword appear in her hand; the demon shook his head in confusion before taking a faltering step towards her, obviously he wasn't sure whether he should attack or run while he still could.

Making the demon's mind up for him, Amanda swung the sword and watched it cut into the demon's body. Almost immediately the demon's blood started to ooze from the long deep wound across its chest. Swinging the sword again, Amanda cut the monster across the throat. The demon's taloned hands went to his throat as he tried to staunch the bleeding, blood seeped from between his fingers as he stumbled towards the door in a feeble attempt at escape. Ignoring the demon now, Amanda knew that in a few seconds he would be dead, she turned to where the child cowered in the corner of the shack. Stepping towards the girl, she used the demon's sword to cut the leather thongs that cut cruelly into the child's wrists and ankles.

“There, there,” Amanda crooned soothingly as she picked the child up, “no need to cry anymore the nasty monster's gone now...lets get you back to your mommy.”

Outside the waiting townspeople gasped as the demon staggered across the dusty yard a look of surprise eternally frozen on his face. The fiend took a halting step and then another before it paused and looked down at his blood stained hand. Falling forward like a felled tree the demon crashed to the ground just as Amanda stepped from the shack, the demon's sword in her right hand and the child sitting on her left hip. Walking over to where the demon lay dead, she threw the creature's sword contemptuously into the dust next to its body. There was a surprised cheer from the crowd as the child's mother rushed forward and almost snatched the little girl from Amanda's grasp. The crowd coalesced around the mother as she comforted her daughter and every one seemed to ignore Amanda, everyone that is except Tara, the Sheriff and Deputy Diaz.

“Oh well done!” Tara cried as she ran over to Amanda and gave her a big hug.

Although Amanda had never been afflicted by the need for special types of food or wild monkey sex after a kill, just at the moment with the little priestess hugging her and pressing her firm breasts against her she was willing to give it a try just this once.

“You're so brave,” gushed Tara as she redoubled the strength of her hold on Amanda.

“Yes,” agreed Diaz as she smiled knowingly at the slayer and priestess, “very brave.”

“Whatever,” sighed the sheriff as she toed the demon's body just to make sure it was dead, “okay, slayer if you want to come over to my office I'll give you the reward.”

“Reward?” Amanda was so surprised at the mention of a reward that she almost forgot about the priestess who seemed to me trying to push her breasts right through her...almost.

“Yeah,” the Sheriff nodded her head, “there's a bounty on demons in this county and there'll be a reward for saving the child.”

“Of course,” Tara said as she let go of Amanda and turned to face the sheriff, “I'll come too just to witness everything, if you don't mind?”

“Whatever you want to do Reverend Sister,” the sheriff shrugged before turning and heading for her office, “Diaz?”

“Sheriff?”

“Make sure that the demon's body gets burnt would ya?”

“Sure thing Sheriff.”

0=0=0=0

Hiding at the back of the thinning crowd, Katie, Ariana, Grace and Nicole watched as the sheriff led the slayer and the priestess away.

“If only we could hire that slayer,” Grace said with unaccustomed enthusiasm, “she could defeat the Injuns all by herself.”

“How would we convince a slayer like her to work for food and lodging,” it was Ariana's turn to throw a wet blanket on Grace's suggestion.

“If we don't do something soon,” Katie replied her anger starting to rise, “it'll be too late and the Injuns will have burnt the village before we've even hired one slayer.”

“Katie's right!” Nicole cried as she stepped up next to her friend and clutched hold of her arm, “The time for words has long past, we must do something and do it now!”

0=0=0=0

Ignoring the crowd that had formed around the mother and her rescued child, Alyssa watched as the slayer and the priestess walked off with the sheriff towards her office. Alyssa had turned sixteen about three months ago and had come into her powers only two months prior to that. Although she had the strength and power of a slayer she didn't know how to use it. Yes, her mothers had bought her a slayer's sword and knife, they'd equipped their daughter with everything she could possibly need to face life as a slayer (Alyssa's mothers were very rich) but the one thing they couldn't buy her was experience and how to actually _be_ a slayer, that Alyssa would have to find out for herself.

0=0=0=0

Several hours later, Amanda was a very happy slayer. Yesterday she'd only had the clothes she stood up in, her weapons and a few d’lars. Now her purse was heavy with silver, the bounty on the demon had been fifty d’lars and there was a further twenty-five d’lars for saving the child. The sheriff had also been open to the idea of Amanda setting up home in Oxnade and doing a little bounty hunting...if she was willing to 'donate' a tenth of the reward money to the town in 'taxes'. What the sheriff really meant was that she'd allow Amanda to settle in Oxnade if she paid her one tenth of any reward money to herself for the privilege.

Just at the moment Amanda didn't know whether she'd accept the sheriff's 'offer', she was thinking she was quite happy as she was. There was silver in her purse and she was sharing the priestess' bed; Tara had proved to be an energetic, skilled and generous lover, what more could an old slayer want? Just at the moment Amanda couldn't think of anything else she wanted, apart from the obvious but Tara seemed to be having a little rest. After all she was only human and didn't have the staying power of a slayer. Just as Amanda was thinking of going to find something to eat there was a loud knock on the front door of the little house where Tara lived.

“Wot?” Tara groaned as she rolled over and pulled a pillow over her head.

“Whose there?” Amanda swung her legs out of bed and stood up, searching for something to wear she picked up one of Tara's robes and put it on.

“Alyssa!” came the enigmatic reply.

This all sounded like a bad joke to Amanda as she moved silently across the room and picked up her sword.

“Alyssa who?” Amanda was now standing to one side of the front door as she lifted the threadbare curtain away from the little window beside the door to see who was there.

“Alyssa the Slayer,” Alyssa replied.

“Huh?” Amanda didn't get it, why was a slayer she'd never heard of knocking on the door at this time of day, whatever time that happened to be.

“I need to speak to you...please?” Alyssa called through the door.

“Go away I'm busy,” Amanda called back.

“Please...” Alyssa repeated and tried not to whine, it was undignified.

Standing on the other side of the door, Amanda sighed heavily as she glanced back to where the very appealing body of Priestess Tara lay. Given the choice of talking to an obviously over-eager teen-slayer and joining Tara in bed once more, Amanda knew exactly which she'd chose. But, duty won out as it always did, resting her sword against the door frame, she opened the door. The sight that greeted her eyes made her step back half a pace. 

The girl, for that was what she obviously was, couldn't have been older than fifteen or sixteen, she was almost as tall as Amanda and once she'd finished growing would probably top her by an inch or two. Her clothes were of good quality and must have cost her mothers a pretty d’lar or ten. The collar, cuffs and hem of her dark blue, traditional wrap around slayer's jacket was heavy with fine embroidery and the girl's under shirt was of fine cotton dyed a bright blue. The plainest part of her outfit where the white trousers she wore and the grey puttees wrapped around her legs from the knees down; Amanda didn't like that style as it made her legs too hot in the summer and the bandages got all soggy in the winter, she preferred to wear socks and boots or just sandals. Amanda's hand blurred with speed making the girl jump with surprise as she pulled the young slayer's sword from its scabbard. Examining the blade carefully as the girl looked on in wide eyed fascination and probably just a little hero worship, Amanda chuckled slowly.

“This is a good blade,” Amanda observed, “how much did it cost your mothers? I'd guess at least a hundred d'lars.”

The girl on the door step blushed and shuffled her feet in embarrassment.

“No cause to get all embarrassed,” Amanda smiled, “you're lucky to have mothers who are willing to spend so much money on their daughter...” Amanda tossed the sword back to the girl, “...why don't you go back to them, hide your powers and join the family business...or maybe partner up and ride the beast and have loads of babies coz you're not much of a slayer.”

“I know,” Alyssa bowed low from the waist as she fumbled with her sword, “Please Mistress, I saw you kill the demon yesterday...”

“Yesterday?” Amanda glanced over her shoulder to where Tara still lay, had she really spent a good twelve hours in bed?

“...I'd like you to train me so I can become a proper slayer.”

“Why in the name of the Mother of All would you _want_ to be a slayer?” Amanda cried in surprise.

“To protect and serve,” Alyssa replied as she stood up straight again.

“Rubbish!” Amanda snapped back, “The only thing you'll protect and serve are ungrateful bastards who only want to see your back once you've killed the demon...look at me,” Amanda held her arms out from her side inviting Alyssa to look, “I've spent nearly twenty-five years protecting and serving these ungrateful swine,” she gestured at the outside world, “and what have I to show for it?” Amanda paused for a heart beat, “Less than I had when I was your age...you know I'm seriously considering life as a bounty hunter? What sort of job is that for a slayer, huh? Protect and serve my ass, the very idea. Go home to your mothers, they'll be happy to see you home safe and whole, find yourself a nice girl and spend your lives bringing up your children together...its better than anything I could teach you.”

“But...” Alyssa wiped the tear from the corner of her eye.

“But nothing...” Amanda closed the door in the girl's face and headed back to bed.

“That wasn't very nice was it?” Tara said as Amanda sat down on the edge of the bed.

“No it wasn't,” she admitted, “but its better she knows now than find out when she's got a demon's spear through her chest and they're shovelling the earth down on to her cold, dead body.”

“But its her destiny,” Tara sat up and wrapped her arms around Amanda's shoulder and pressed her breasts into her back.

“That's exactly what the priestess in my village said after I came into my powers,” Amanda remembered a childhood spent in her village; running through the orchards playing tag with her friends in the summer and snowball fights down by the docks in the winter. “If you ask me 'destiny' is overrated.”

“You know, St Buffy herself doubted her calling,” Tara explained quietly, “in fact all the old slayers doubted that they were doing any good but they always fought on...”

“And look what it got them,” Amanda sighed, “slaughtered by the The First's minions at the First and Last Fight.” Amanda turned so she could look into Tara's eyes, “I'm tired, I've spent all my adult life fighting I want something more, I want to rest.”

“I know you do honey,” Tara pulled Amanda towards her and held her tight, “but we can't always get what we want.”

“I don't _always_ want to get what I want all the time,” Amanda said as she buried her face in the crook of Tara's neck, “I'd just like to get what I need...sometimes.”

0=0=0=0

It was near midday when Amanda and Tara finally left the house in search of food, as usual Amanda was ravenous, love making on top of fighting had left her very hungry. They were walking along Main Street when a commotion caused them to stop and watch. There was a crowd of children and teenagers in a great huddle on the other side of the road. Whatever was happening was certainly amusing as all the kids were laughing fit to pee themselves. Without warning a body flew out of the crowd to crash land on the side of the street near where Amanda and Tara were standing. Dust rose all around the body as it lay groaning on the ground. On the other side of the street the crowd of kids parted as if my magic and a tall slayer strode from out of the mob to stand in the middle of the road, the woman looked down disdainfully at the moaning body in the dust.

“I may be poor,” announced the slayer, “but I'm a slayer and I still have my pride.”

“Pride won't fill your belly,” Amanda muttered just loud enough for Tara to hear, as the slayer stomped off down the street.

“True,” Tara agreed, “but I wonder what all that was about.”

“We'll probably never know,” Amanda shrugged, “now where's this restaurant?”

0=0=0=0

Lying in the dirt, Katie sobbed tears of frustration and shame, she'd failed and now the village would die.

“I told you this would happen,” Ariana pointed out making no move to help Katie up.

“Maybe we should go home now,” Grace suggested, “If we get back in time perhaps we could hide in the forest with enough food to let us live a little longer, or beg the Injuns not to kill us all.”

“Maybe, Grace is right,” Nicole said as she helped Katie to her feet and brushed some of the dust from her clothes, “maybe we should go home.”

“It's hopeless,” Katie sobbed as her tears made little channels through the dust on her face, “no one cares about simple farmers like us.”

“It's too late to start out now,” Ariana observed, “we'll start out tomorrow morning.”

0=0=0=0


	4. Chapter 4

**Oxnade.**

Sitting at a corner table, with her back against the wall, Amanda swirled the amber coloured liquid around her glass as she tried to decide what she was going to do with the rest of her life. It was evening and the red painted saloon was starting to fill up with its early evening clientèle. From long familiarity with similar places, Amanda could guess who was who and what they did. There was the woman in her late twenties in the smart skirt and blouse, she had all the markings of a professional gambler. The four teenagers in dusty work clothes; they were obviously ranch hands, no doubt out looking for a little fun as they eyed the saloon girls. There were the usual farmers and townswomen plus a couple of drifters, who might or might not be slayers like herself. Otherwise there wasn't anyone who looked in anyway unusual and Amanda wasn't getting any 'demon-vibe' off any of the customers. 

With a little luck it would be a nice quiet night, which was what Amanda wanted. Tonight she just wanted to get a little drunk and think about all the things she'd done and how being a slayer had screwed up her life. For a start it just wasn't fair, the Mother had simply dumped the entire slayer gig on her head like a load of rotting fish. Of course that was what would have probably happened to her anyway because if she'd not been 'chosen' and stayed at home, she'd have likely as not ended up as a fisherwoman just like her mother, but, it would have been nice to have been given the option.

“Oh well,” Amanda sighed as she stared morosely at her drink, “can't be helped now and did I really want to smell of fish for the rest of my life?”

Knocking back her drink in one gulp, Amanda was just about to order another when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Letting her hand drop to her knife (she'd left her sword under her bed at Ma' MacKenzie's) she turned slightly to see who was stupid enough to try and sneak up on a slayer.

“Oh its you,” Amanda sighed as she recognised the slim, dark haired wannabe slayer; her hand moved away from the hilt of her knife, “I though I told you to go home to your mothers.”

“You did,” Alyssa replied guiltily, “but I still want to learn how to be a slayer and...” the girl paused for a moment before adding quietly, “...if I went home I'd have to admit to my moms that they were right...”

“Right?” Amanda caught the eye of a saloon girl, “Oh!” she chuckled softly, “They didn't really want you to go off and risk your pretty little neck on damn-fool ideas about being a slayer...” the saloon girl arrived at Amanda's table, “...whisky for me and bring my friend,” she gestured at Alyssa, “a glass of lemonade.”

The saloon girl turned and walked back towards the bar her butt swaying provocatively as she did so.

“No they didn't,” Alyssa admitted as she sat down, “like you, they wanted me to hide my powers and stay at home, partner up and have lots of babies...but...”

“But you couldn't,” Amanda nodded her thanks to the saloon girl as she returned and placed their drinks on the table while at the same time giving Amanda a good view down the front of her dress, the service here was very good, “you simply had to go out an' save the world didn't you?”

“Yes,” Alyssa nodded, “was it like that for you?”

“Sort of,” Amanda sipped her whisky, “with me it was the dreams that finally convinced me I had to leave the fish in the sea.”

“Fish?” Alyssa frowned.

“Fisherwoman...” Amanda tapped her chest, “...do you get the dreams?” Alyssa nodded, “Scary aren't they?”

“Yes, very,” the girl agreed as she looked at Amanda with sad, dark brown eyes.

“You just had to do something to make them go away, right?”

Again Alyssa nodded.

“And they did after you killed your first demon didn't they?”

The girl cast her eyes down and refused to look Amanda in the eye.

“Oh by The Mother,” Amanda gasped, “you've never even slayed anything have you?”

Alyssa shook her head miserably.

“Well,” Amanda sighed sadly and took another mouthful of whisky, “well it doesn't matter, the dreams only go away for a while...they soon come back and you have to go out and slay your demons all over again.”

“Do you still get the dreams?” Alyssa enquired nervously.

“Yeah,” Amanda nodded as she put down her suddenly empty glass, “but they're not as bad as they were when I was your age.”

“It gets better?” Alyssa asked hopefully.

“Yeah...but then I've killed an awful lot of demons in my life so I think the Mother goes easy on me...”

“So to stop having the dreams,” Alyssa said slowly, “I have to kill demons?”

“That's about it,” Amanda's voice sounded bitter, “The Mother is a bit of a bitch like that; she sends you the dreams until you do what she wants.”

“But you said I should hide my powers,” Alyssa frowned, “what about the dreams then?”

“Well, my little, wannabe slayer, The Mother isn't completely stupid, if you can out last her she eventually gives up.”

“How long does that take?”

“Six months,” Amanda caught the saloon girl's eye again and waved her empty glass at her, “maybe a year...perhaps two.”

“Oh...” Alyssa didn't think she could wait a year or even six months for the dreams to go away.

“Hey,” the saloon girl had reappeared and put another glass of whisky in front of Amanda, once again letting the older woman catch a glimpse of her breasts down the front of her dress, “its cheaper if you just buy the bottle, y'know?”

“And easier on ya feet too I'm guessing,” Amanda searched in her purse and tossed the girl a silver d’lar and a fifty cent piece to cover the three glasses she'd already had, the rest the girl could keep as a tip.

“Thanks!” the girl smiled, thirty-two cents was a big tip, “Hey if ya want some company later tonight just ask for Melody, right?”

“I'll remember that,” Amanda nodded her thanks, before turning back to look at Alyssa, “so, you want to be a slayer...I mean a proper slayer, not one of these fancy town slayers who go 'round staking deadbeat town vamps. You want to be a down an' dirty slayer fighting The First's minions and making the world safe for truth, justice and the Fornian way, right?”

Alyssa nodded eagerly.

“So what do I get outta the deal?” Melody returned right at that moment and as she placed the whisky bottle on the table she managed to rub her breasts against Amanda's cheek, “Thanks,” Amanda smiled at the girl; she didn't know if it was the whisky but the girl was looking prettier by the minute. 

“I don't understand,” Alyssa shifted slightly in her seat.

“Look, if I'm gonna train you, I'm not going to do it for free...” Amanda explained, “...do you have money?”

“Oh yes!” Alyssa smiled eagerly, “my mother's send me money quite regularly...if I'm in a town like Oxnade I write them and they send it to the local post office...”

“Good!” Amanda refilled her glass, “Then you're hired...” she paused in her pouring, “...no that's not right...I'm hired!”

“You'll train me?” Alyssa asked uncertainly, she was beginning to think she might have chosen her 'watcher' unwisely.

“Yeah, why not?” Amanda shrugged, “And your first lesson is...” she took a deep breath and stared at the drink in her hand, “There is nobody out there to help you, no one is on your side, apart from maybe me.” Amanda paused so Alyssa could appreciate exactly what she'd let herself in for, “Never forget that no matter how cold, wet, hungry, or exhausted you are, there is one thing on which you can depend...things will only get worse and what's more, no one will ever thank you and you certainly won't make a fortune out of slaying. In fact you'll be lucky to live much past your twentieth birthday, so, do you still wanna be trained?”

“Yes!” Alyssa surprised herself by how eagerly she'd agreed.

“Okay,” Amanda reached across the table and poured a little whiskey into Alyssa's glass, “there now you're gonna die so you might as well learn to enjoy life, have you had sex yet?”

Alyssa turned bright pink and shook her head.

“No?” Amanda sounded surprised, “I'd have thought a pretty girl like you would...” a dark frown crossed her face, “...you're not gay are you? I mean you don't fantasize about riding the beast do you?”

Alyssa shook her head firmly, she wasn't a pervert.

“I mean, I've got nothing against riding the beast if you want babies...well...” Amanda laughed, “...if ya want babies there's not much of an option is there? But enjoying it...” Amanda pulled a face like she'd smelt a load of rotting fish, “...yuck...that's just disgusting, right?”

“Yes Watcher,” Alyssa agreed.

“Okay, now we've got that out of the way,” Amanda held out her hand, “let me see that sword of yours again...oh and don't call me 'Watcher' ever again, I'm Amanda...but never Mandy, got that?”

“Yes Amanda,” Alyssa said as she pulled her sword from her sash and handed it to Amanda.

The older woman took hold of the weapon and drew it from its scabbard, she examined the blade and basket guard carefully.

“Nice weapon,” she nodded, “but you'd do better to get yourself a wooden scabbard, it doesn't blunt the edge as you draw it and doesn't make so much noise when it bangs against leg as you're trying to sneak up on some fiend, understand?”

Alyssa nodded, much to her surprise she was already learning.

“Do you know why slayers carry sabres?”

This time Alyssa shook her head.

“Most normal, professional, fighters carry rapiers coz when all else is equal the point will beat the edge every time, but...!” Amanda paused to sip her whiskey again, “But...the things we fight you could poke it with a blade all day and the chances are you won't hit anything vital, but if you swing a good heavy sabre you'll take its head right off and most things die if you cut their head's off.”

“But what if you have to fight one of these professional swordswomen?”

“Then, hey,” Amanda chuckled, “you're a slayer, she's not going to last five heart beats, is she?”

“I suppose not,” Alyssa replied uncertainly, “I thought slayers weren't supposed to kill normal people.”

“We call them 'mundanes' between ourselves,” Amanda whispered, “but I wouldn't call one that to her face...very quick way of starting a riot and having to leave town in a hurry...”

“Oh!”

“Anyway the killing people thing is more of a guideline than a rule or law,” Amanda explained with a shrug, “sometimes it can't be helped and sometimes some people just plain need killin'.”

“Have you killed any mundanes?” Alyssa wanted to know.

“Dozens,” Amanda admitted, “but I can assure you they all had it coming...mostly...it was self defence or they worked for The First...but...it wasn't something I enjoyed. That's another thing, my girl, enjoy your powers but don't enjoy the killing, that leads to the 'Dark Side' where The First waits for slayers who've strayed from the path of light.”

“Oh...” Alyssa was about to ask a question but just then a large, dark, shadow fell across the table between Amanda and herself.

Looking up and to her left Alyssa saw what had to be the biggest, meanest looking woman she'd ever seen; she was tall, well over six feet. Her hair was shaved leaving only about half an inch of stubble, her eyes were hard and mean and her arms and shoulders bulged with muscle. Her feet were clad in heavy leather boots and she wore nothing but a set of dungarees that let her ponderous breasts swing out into the daylight every time she moved.

“Ya don't need to grease that little girl's slit so hard slayer...” the woman grinned nastily as she leered down at Alyssa.

“Eww!” squeaked Melody the saloon girl as people started to move out of their seats and backed away from the little tableau in the corner of the room.

“Say what?” Amanda asked as she slowly turned to look up at the woman; although Amanda had been drinking steadily all evening, Alyssa suddenly noticed that her new friend didn't seem at all drunk now.

“...look,” the big woman sniggered suggestively, “I'm guessing that ya finger should slip in there real easy-like or maybe you were hoping to get ya whole hand inside her!”

It was about at this point that Alyssa realised what the woman was talking about, just as she was about to jump to her feet and teach this bitch a lesson she wouldn't forget, Alyssa felt Amanda's hand on her arm holding her in place.

“That's right slayer, hold ya little girlie back,” smirked the woman, “I betting she'll be real tight...”

“Friend...” Amanda said coldly, “...do you have a problem? Coz me and my friend here don't want any trouble we just came in for a quiet drink...why don't you pull up a chair and join us?”

“I'll tell you what my problem is!” the woman snarled, “I'm sick of all you slayers coming into our town and ladying it over Mother fearing, decent folk. You slayers are no better than anyone else...”

“I never said I wasn't,” Amanda admitted as she slowly eased her chair back a little, “but I'll admit there's some who brag a little too much...sit down friend,” she gestured to a vacant seat, “let me buy you that drink.”

“I don't want ya stinking whiskey,” roared the woman, “I've always wanted to face down one of you slayer bitches, you ain't so tough...” the woman produced a long curved dagger, “...I'm gonna make me a boob purse...”

“Purse...?” Alyssa whispered to herself before realising what the unpleasant woman meant.

It was then that Amanda moved and a heart beat later the big woman lay unconscious and bleeding on the floor.

“Self defence I think you'll all agree,” Amanda looked pointedly at the crowd of shocked patrons. 

Everyone either mumbled 'yes' or nodded their heads, as Amanda sat down.

“W-what did you do?” Alyssa gasped, “I mean I saw some of it but...”

“I'll teach you,” Amanda picked up her glass, topped it up with whiskey and tossed it off in one gulp, “and another thing...despite what Lady Asshole there said and accepting that you're a real cute girl, I do not wanna get between your legs, okay?”

“Okay,” Alyssa didn't know whether to feel sad or relieved about that.

A couple of moment's later Deputy Diaz burst into the saloon clutching her bow, an arrow already notched on the string.

“What's going here?” she demanded her eyes going from the body on the floor to the two slayers sitting quietly in the corner.

“Hermione tried to pick a fight with them there slayers,” announced Eva the saloon keeper, “it was self defence Deputy clear an' simple.”

Deputy Diaz relaxed and un-notched her arrow as she looked around to see everyone nodding their heads in agreement; she walked over to where Amanda and Alyssa sat, stepping over Hermione's body as she did so.

“You want to press charges?” Diaz asked as she pushed her straw blonde hair back from her face.

“No,” Amanda shook her head, “it was probably just the drink talking...let her sleep it off somewhere.”

“Yeah,” Diaz agreed as she eyed Amanda and gave her a conspiratorial wink, “I expect it was...” she turned to face the crowd, “...hey, a couple of you wanna help me get her outta here?”

“Need more than a couple,” one of the ranch hands said as she led her three friends over to where Hermione lay.

“I reckon you're right,” Diaz agreed just before she and the ranch hands started to drag Hermione towards the door.

0=0=0=0

**After Closing Time.**

Amanda was singing a song about how some slayer long ago had let a vampire between her legs because he'd told her he had a soul and how much he loved her. The mere fact that the vampire character in the song was male told Alyssa that the song must go back to before the time of the First and Last Battle. However, why Amanda felt the need to warn Alyssa not to go to bed with vampires was lost on her, it wasn't something she could imagine herself doing.

 _“Let me in, the vampire cried,_ ” Amanda sang drunkenly as they swayed down the street together, _“Cold haily windy night, Oh let me in, the vampire cried,_ ” Amanda's voice cracked on the high note, _“Or I'll turn to dust in the morning._ ”

“Shhhh!” Alyssa tried to quiet her mentor.

“Don't 'shh' me my girl.” Amanda warned, “You're not too big for me to put across my knee!”

“No I'm not, but I'm thinking that even I could fight you off just now,” Alyssa smiled.

“Whatever!” Amanda broke away from her support and waving her arms wildly she staggered half way across the street before stopping and asking, “Where was I?”

“What?”

“The song...”

“Oh, something about turning to dust.”

“Oh, yeah, right...” Amanda took a deep breath, “ _Oh and she's rose up and she's let him in, she's kissed her true love cheek and chin, and she's drawn him between her sheets again, and she opened and she let him in._ ”

At this point Alyssa expected another chorus about 'cold haily' nights but she was to be disappointed in more that one way.

“ _Then she has blessed the rainy night,_ ” Amanda continued with renewed gusto, “ _Cold haily windy night, oh then she has blessed the rainy night, that she opened and she let him in..._ ”

“Eww,” Alyssa said quietly as she rushed to prop up Amanda as the song seemed to be proving too much for her.

“ _Oh, Angel, Angel stay with me, Angel, Angel won't you marry me?_ ” Amanda went on drunkenly as in the shadows at the side of the street, figures moved to surround the two slayers, “ _Oh no, no-way, it never can be, coz I’ve lost my soul forever!_ ”

“Angel?” Alyssa gave Amanda a puzzled frown, “Why would a vampire be called 'Angel'?”

“A bad joke on the slayer?” Amanda suggested just as several shadowy figures detached themselves from the darkness and pounced!

0=0=0=0

Amanda's song, 'The Tale of the Foolish Slayer' is based on a folk song I know as, 'Cold, Haily Windy, Night'. For the real version highlight and right click.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKl3Q8kjfb8

Or there is this slightly more unusual version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QC2av7-_Ik


	5. Chapter 5

**Main Street, Oxnade, about midnight.**

It felt to Alyssa that she had no control over her body. As she became aware of the figures moving out of the darkness and across the street towards her she found that she was already moving to confront them. Her night adapted eyes showed her five large women who looked and were dressed much as the woman Hermione had been, obviously Hermione had called for back-up and was out for pay back.

The first woman came towards Alyssa and threw a punch at her head, ducking under the blow, the young slayer punched the woman in the stomach, she heard the breath whoosh from the woman's lungs as she doubled over in pain and fell to the ground. Turning to face another foe, Alyssa stood side on to her next opponent and kicked out with her foot which connected with her attacker's knee. Her sensitive ears told her that she'd just broken the woman's leg. As the woman fell screaming to the ground clutching her knee, Alyssa moved on as she continued to turn so she could see how Amanda was fairing.

It seemed that Amanda wasn't fairing very well at all. One of her attackers was holding her arms behind her back while another was hitting her in the body and face. Before Alyssa could move to rescue her friend and teacher an arm came out of the night and wrapped itself around her neck. Grabbing hold of the arm, Alyssa bent forward and easily threw her attacker over her shoulder. The woman hit the dusty road with a loud 'THUMP!'. Pausing only to kick her downed opponent in the ribs Alyssa moved to help Amanda. However, before she could take more than a single step, she saw that Amanda was standing over the groaning forms of her attackers

“I might be drunk,” Amanda announced as she stood unsteadily in the middle of the street, “but I'm never that drunk!”

“What's going on here?” demanded Deputy Diaz as she ran towards the scene of the fight.

“Little disagreement on just how stupid some people can be,” Amanda told the tall deputy; another deputy ran up holding a lighted torch above her head, a pool of light formed around the scene of battle as Diaz examined the fallen women.

“Darn hillbillies,” Diaz said angrily as she turned back to look at Amanda and Alyssa, “you two okay?”

“I'm fine,” Amanda claimed as blood trickled down her chin from a cut lip, she turned to look at Alyssa, “are you fine?”

“I'm good,” the girl admitted.

“These,” Diaz gestured to the bodies in the street, “are some of Hermione's clan, they come down from the mountains every few months for supplies or when one of them wants to use the town beast...”

“Poor beast...” Alyssa muttered after looking the bodies over for a moment or two.

“Don't worry,” Diaz laughed quietly, “the beast isn't fussy...anyway as I say they come to town every few months or so and cause so much trouble the Sheriff's been talking about banning them from the town.” Diaz walked over to Amanda and examined her cut lip for a moment, “You wanna press charges?”

“No,” Amanda shook her head, “they only gave me this,” she gestured at her lip, “and some bruises that'll be gone in a day. I sorta heard Alyssa here break one of their leg's so I'm thinking we're kinda even.”

“Whatever,” Diaz shrugged, “it's up to you...” the deputy paused for a moment and looked a little embarrassed, “I know this wasn't your fault an'all and you've done nothing wrong but I've gotta ask you, when are you planning on leaving town?”

“W-what...?” Alyssa called out, she would have said more but Amanda waved her into silence.

“The sheriff thinking of asking us to get outta town by sundown?” Amanda asked.

“Something like that,” Diaz shrugged, “slayers attract trouble, if it was up to me...”

“I know,” Amanda sighed heavily, “don't worry Deputy Diaz we'll be leaving tomorrow or the day after, but now I need my bed...I'm a grumpy slayer if I don't get my five hours beauty sleep every night.”

“Good night,” Diaz called as she watched the two slayers head off to their beds and thought, there but for the grace of The Mother go I.

“But that's not fair,” Alyssa hissed angrily, “we did nothing wrong she said so, why do we have to leave town?”

“Price of being a slayer,” Amanda admitted as she touched her cut lip gingerly, “Ouch!” she cried as she pulled her hand away, “'An’ it's Slayer this, an' Slayer that, an' "Slayer, do as you’re told'...” again Amanda sighed at the injustice of it all, “Come on, lets go to bed...”

0=0=0=0

Amanda had been told about hangovers but she'd never actually experienced one, she supposed it might be because she was a slayer. But, then she remembered other slayers having hangovers, maybe she was just lucky? Whatever the reason when Amanda woke up in her little room the following morning she didn't have a thundering headache and while she didn't feel as fresh as a daisy she didn't feel all that bad. After she'd washed and dressed she even put away one of Ma' MacKenzie's huge breakfasts these appeared to be designed so that Amanda didn't need to eat for the next twenty-four hours. After breakfast she spent an hour or two working on her gear before going off in search of Alyssa. The younger slayer was staying at a much more up market boarding house than she was and the landlady there looked down her nose at her when she asked for Alyssa.

“So,” Amanda asked as Alyssa joined her in the hallway, “what are we going to do today?”

“We could beat up some more hillbillies,” Alyssa suggested; Amanda didn't know if the girl was being serious or not.

“No,” Amanda shook her head as they headed outside and into the street, “I don't think the sheriff would like that.”

“I would have thought she'd be pleased,” Alyssa sulked, “I mean they're trouble makers, right? Deputy Diaz said as much.”

“Look,” Amanda replied gently, “yes, we could beat on those hillbillies 'til the cows come home, then we could beat up the cows, but it wouldn't change anything. They'd still be assholes after we leave this place and remember, the sheriff has to live here and deal with them every time they come into town.”

“Oh...” Alyssa was just beginning to understand the futility of life.

“Of course we could go up into the hills and kill them!” Amanda suggested brightly.

“We could!?” Alyssa replied hopefully.

“We could,” Amanda agreed, “but do they really need to be killed? Are they really evil? Would the sheriff _really_ like it? No, I don't think she would.”

“But that's not fair!” Alyssa cried angrily, “You mean we have to leave them to keep on picking fights and causing trouble?”

“Life's a bitch an' then you die,” Amanda explained as they walked along Main Street together, “part of being a slayer is knowing which battles to fight and which ones to walk away from.”

“So you're saying we can't change anything?”

“No, I'm saying you have to be careful not to leave a situation worse than you found it, our hillbilly friends are a case in point.” Amanda paused for a moment, “Let's say we rode up into the hills and slaughtered Hermione and her family. Now, they've probably got kin living all over those mountains so to prevent them from coming after us for revenge we'd have to kill them, all their friends and their hound dogs. Plus what do we do with the babies and children? Kill them too? No,” Amanda shook her head, “a good beating is all you need to hand out in cases like this...of course if they were demons...” Amanda smiled, “...I'd be the first to say, 'kill them all' and have you noticed we're being followed?”

“We are! Where...?”

“No, don't turn to look,” Amanda, managed to prevent Alyssa from giving the game away, “four farmers about ten paces back they've been following us from about when we turned onto Main Street. Now, just follow my lead...”

Turning off Main Street, Amanda and Alyssa sprinted down a narrow side alley until they came out behind the shops facing onto the street. Here they took cover in amongst the empty packing crates and old barrels that littered the area. No sooner had they hidden themselves than the four farmers appeared slightly out of breath and confused as the slayers had appeared to have vanished.

“Magic!” cried the oldest looking farmer.

“No, they're hiding,” announced one of the younger farmers.

“Why would slayers hide from us?” another farmer asked morosely. 

“Perhaps they want to beat us in private for following them?” said the youngest farmer.

“We might as well resign ourselves to our fate,” muttered the morose farmer.

“Perhaps the Injuns will let us live,” said the sad farmer.

“We must fight,” the young farmer said angrily, “I will not bow to the Injuns anymore...”

“I'll stand with you Katie,” the youngest woman said as she gazed up in admiration at 'Katie'.

“So, what's all this about Injuns?” Amanda asked as she stood up out of cover and took a couple of steps towards the now terrified farmers.

“We're sorry Lady Slayer!” the morose farmer threw herself on the ground at Amanda's feet, “We meant no offence, but you should beat us if you're angry.”

“Get up!” Amanda told the older farmer, “I'm not going to beat anyone, now tell me about these Injuns.”

“The Injuns come once...twice a year,” the farmer named 'Katie' stepped forward as she spoke, “they take all that we have and only leave us just enough food to live on. This year, when they come back, we'll have been raided three times...”

“Why don't you fight?” Alyssa asked, “Or call for help from the Governor's army?”

“They have no time for farmers like us,” said the younger farmer who was obviously in love with the farmer called Katie, “The Inspector and her Constables come only after the Injuns have gone or when they want to collect their taxes.”

“I see,” Amanda said slowly as she sat down on an up turned crate. “Tell me about these Injuns, how strong are they, do they ride with demons?”

“There's about sixty of them all on horses,” the morose farmer began to explain.

“And you are?” Amanda asked.

“Ariana, Lady,” Ariana bowed her head.

“Go on, do they ride with demons?” Amanda repeated.

“Sometimes,” Katie admitted as she turned her face from the slayer, “one took my wife and used her till she bled to death...”

Amanda and Alyssa watched as the other young woman moved to comfort Katie.

“So, demons,” Amanda said into the silence that followed.

“Only sometimes...I am Grace your Ladyship, the Injuns only have demons with them sometimes, when they're by themselves they aren't so bad they only take the young woman to be mothers in their villages.”

“Huh?” Alyssa asked.

“It's normal practice with a lot of tribes,” Amanda explained, “they raid villages for food, goods and women. Then they force the captured women to ride the beast and have children so the warriors don't have to take time off to raise their own kids. That way they keep their numbers up so they can keep on raiding and fighting their neighbours.”

“That sounds pointless,” Alyssa said after a few moments thought.

“Hey, they're savages,” Amanda laughed, “who can know what savages think?”

“Yes but...” Alyssa began but was talked over by Amanda.

“So I'm guessing you're looking for some slayers to take care of your Injun problem, right?”

“Yes your Ladyship,” Grace almost grovelled, “but I can see that this is of no importance to you and we can only pay you room and board and maybe some of our younger, prettier daughters might agree to lie with you.”

“Food, board and girls,” Amanda glanced at Alyssa and laughed, “I've been offered less...obviously the two of us can't deal with sixty Injuns and we don't know how many demons, tell me about your village.”

“There is a river...” Katie began.

“How deep?” Amanda wanted to know.

“This time of the year two maybe three feet in places.”

“Uh-huh,” Amanda nodded, “go on.”

“The river runs between the village and the fields, on the far side of the fields are some woods and after that sand dunes and a beach then the sea.”

“How far is it from the river to the woods?”

“Four or five hundred paces.”

“We'll be able to see them coming if they come from that direction,” Amanda told Alyssa, “What's behind the village?”

“There's an old cliff, long, long ago it was the coast,” Katie explained, “its cut through with many ravines, some you can walk up others you'd have to climb on hands and knees, one has a road. The entire area is covered in trees.”

“Closely spaced?”

“Far from the road and paths, yes, there's a lot of bushes too.”

“So any mounted attack would have to come down the road,” Amanda mused.

“What if the Injuns dismount to attack?” Alyssa wanted to know.

“A good point,” Amanda smiled, “see you're already starting to learn...Injuns don't like fighting on foot, they think it un-womans them, its beneath their dignity. If they attack they'll come on horse back.” Amanda turned her gaze back at Katie, “The village, how many people, houses, and what are the houses made of, are they close together, is there a stockade?”

“The Injuns warned us not to build a stockade,” wailed Grace, “they said they'd kill us all if we did.”

“And of course you didn't, did you?” Alyssa spat out the words, “Didn't you think that the reason they didn't want you to build a stockade was that it might have stopped them from just riding into your village and taking whatever they wanted to?”

“Nooo,” Grace sobbed as she shook her head, it was obvious that the idea of fighting back was totally alien to her mind.

“The village?” Amanda prompted.

“There's about two hundred people...plus children”

“How many could fight?” Amanda demanded.

“Forty maybe fifty, but we have no weapons, we're farmers not soldiers,” Katie pointed out.

“And what do you think soldiers were before they became soldiers?” Alyssa asked.

“The houses?” Amanda asked again.

“Wood, all in one group beneath the cliffs,” Katie paused as she remembered something, “there are maybe three houses and the mill outside the village.”

“I see,” Amanda stroked her chin in thought.

“You can't be thinking of doing this,” Alyssa whispered.

“Why not?” Amanda grinned, “It's only a matter of time before the sheriff asks us to leave town, and a fight like this would be good training for you.”

“Yes, alright, but you can't expect the two of us and a bunch of terrified farmers to take on fifty or sixty Injuns and who knows how many demons,” Alyssa pointed out.

“No I don't,” Amanda replied simply, “we'll need help.”

“Who?”

“Well,” Amanda shrugged, “there seems to be a lot of unemployed slayers passing through town, we could ask a few of them”

“Fight for food, board and girls?” Alyssa pointed out doubtfully.

“Like I say, I've had worse offers.”

“I don't know...”

“You're the one who wants to be a proper slayer,” Amanda pointed out, “and sometimes...in fact most of the time, being a slayer means you have to do things, almost suicidal things that you don't want to do.”

“Like defend a village against hopeless odds?”

“Something like that,” Amanda nodded, “anyway its only thirty each, we should be able to deal with those odds.”

“So how many slayers do you think we'll need?” Alyssa rolled her eyes at her friend's optimism. 

“Including you and me?” Amanda thought for a moment before saying, “Five, perhaps six.”

“Only six?”

“Or less.”

“But...”

“Look,” Amanda began, “we'll build a stockade and train the villagers to fight with spears. While they poke the Injuns with their spears and keep them distracted, we move in and kill the bastards.”

“Sounds easy...” Alyssa frowned, “...too easy.”

“Oh come on,” Amanda gave her pupil a grin, “it'll be fun and we might get you laid...” she laughed, “...you know, some buxom, young, village girl who'll do anything for her brave and pretty slayer sweetheart.”

“Get outta here,” Alyssa blushed scarlet.

“Look,” Amanda turned her attention back to the farmers who'd been standing in fear and trepidation of what the slayers might decide, “we'll agree to help out if we can find a few more slayers to help us, but...” she gave the farmers an even harder look as they shrank away from her, “...you have to fight too, this is your fight. We'll give you help and take down any demons, but you'll have to do the hard work...agreed?”

“Well...” Grace turned to look at her sister villagers, “...I don't...”

“YES!” Katie stepped forward, “Show us how and we'll fight!”

“Good,” Amanda smiled and nodded her head slowly, “now one last thing, what's the name of your village?”

“Sunnidee,” Katie replied.

“Never heard of it,” Amanda shrugged.

0=0=0=0


	6. Chapter 6

**Oxnade.**

The following day, after yet another of Ma' MacKenzie's enormous breakfasts, Amanda collected Alyssa from her boarding house after which they went to find the four farmers. On arriving at the stable where the farmers slept, Alyssa was shocked to see the conditions under which the women lived.

“You've not seen much of the world, have you?” Amanda said quietly as they watched the women wash in the horse trough outside the stable.

“No, I don't suppose I have,” Alyssa agreed with a shake of her head.

“Well,” Amanda sighed heavily, “this,” she gestured at the stable, “isn't as bad as it looks, at least its dry and there's plenty of straw to keep our employers warm at night.”

“It just doesn't seem right is'all,” Alyssa replied.

“Like I said yesterday,” Amanda shrugged, “life's a bitch and then you die...life's a particular bitch where farmers are concerned, that's part of the reason I took the job,” Amanda gave a bitter laugh, “to even up the bitchiness.”

On finding out that the farmers were too poor to eat more than once a day, Alyssa reached for her purse and handed the farmers a d’lar apiece and told them to get a good meal before joining Amanda and herself at the temple. 

“Now there's something you don't see everyday,” Amanda commented as the two slayers headed towards the temple.

“What's that?”

“The employee giving charity to the employer!” Amanda chuckled at the way the world turned.

“But I had to do something...” Alyssa started to defend her act of charity.

“I'm not saying you're wrong,” Amanda pointed out, “you're a good kid Alyssa and I just hope you never get as cynical as me.”

The slayers arrived at the temple and walked inside, after they'd said a short prayer to The Mother, they went in search of the priestess who they found in her little office behind the altar. After exchanging greetings, Amanda explained how they'd been hired by the farmers to drive off the Injun band menacing their village.

“That's very noble of you,” Tara said a little more suspiciously than Amanda might have liked, “what's in it for you?”

“Oh, we're being totally altruistic,” Amanda replied.

“Where did you learn words like altruistic?” Tara wanted to know.

“You'd be surprised,” Amanda replied mysteriously, “whatever, do you mind if we use the temple as a recruiting post?”

“Seeing how its for such a good cause,” Tara smiled, “I don't see why not...as long as you don't mind making a donation.”

“Okay,” Amanda frowned without a great deal of conviction, “how much?”

“Not money, silly,” Tara giggled as she took hold of Amanda's hand and started to pull her towards the door that led to the priestess' little house, “I mean another kind of donation...one to St Anya?”

“Ah,” Amanda said quietly, “the patron Saint of Orgasms.”

“She's one of my favourite saints,” Tara admitted as she tugged Amanda towards the door, “and I haven't made an offering to her for...erm...at least two days!”

“Oh!” Amanda turned to Alyssa only to see her smirking back at her, “...erm, look...urgent temple business, y'know? I'll be back soon, okay?”

Watching the older slayer being dragged off by the little priestess, Alyssa smiled. The priestess sort of reminded her of her birth-mother and how her mothers used to enjoy worshipping at the altar of St Anya. Left to her own devices for she didn't know how long, Alyssa started to walk around the temple looking up at the faded paintings depicting scenes from the Bible. There she saw St Buffy the Brave fighting the monsters around the Hellmouth. On another it showed Mother Joyce and Father Giles calling the other slayers from around the world to fight The First.

On a third painting she saw the tragic First and Last Battle where all those heroes of old had failed to stop The First crossing the bridge from the Hellworld to the Realworld, she saw the slayers fighting the First's minions to the last. The next painting showed the First's minions breaking out onto an unsuspecting world. The next dozen paintings recorded the wars and pestilence that followed the First's arrival into the Realworld. Although the First was powerful the people of those far off days had powerful weapons too and they hurt the First. They hurt him so much that his power weakened and he lost some of his control over his minions. When the First's minions started to fight amongst themselves the First's attempt at taking over the world was over, he had failed.

Of course the First still had his followers, both demonic and human, but he no longer had even a fraction of the power he'd once wielded. Every year there were more slayers than there had been the previous year and every year the demonic strongholds were destroyed or reduced in size and power. One day, Alyssa felt certain the world would be cleansed of the First's influence and people would be able to live in peace and happiness like they had before the First attempted to destroy the world. For a moment Alyssa wondered why, if people lived in peace and happiness, they needed weapons powerful enough to hurt the First so badly? There were many things she didn't fully understand about religion and history, perhaps she could ask the priestess to explain them to her. As if the thought had called the priestess into being, Tara appeared at the doorway next to the altar, walking into the temple proper as she rearranged her robes, the priestess noticed Alyssa and walked over to join her.

“I see your devotions are over,” Alyssa smirked.

“Yes, only a short service today, Amanda says to stay here she'll be back later,” Tara smiled as she followed Alyssa’s gaze as it fell once more onto the paintings, “I see you're admiring the decorations.”

“Yes,” Alyssa nodded, “there are so many things I don't understand...”

“Then perhaps I can enlighten you,” Tara gestured to a bench, “sit, tell me what you don't understand.”

“Understand?” Alyssa laughed humourlessly, “There's so much, I don't know where to begin.”

“Then start with something simple and we'll work from there.”

“Okay,” Alyssa took a deep breath, “Father Giles...

“Uh-huh,” Tara nodded.

“He was the sire of St Buffy and her sisters St Dawn the Exceptional and St Sandra the All Seeing, right?”

“Correct,” Tara nodded already knowing the question that Alyssa would be asking.

“But he was a 'man',” the word tasted unfamiliar in Alyssa's mouth, “a mere Beast...how can he have been so important to Mother Joyce, her children and all the other slayers and heroes. Some passages in the Bible make it sound like he was some sort of wise teacher...everyone knows that beasts are little more than animals of use only for breeding and fighting.”

“I see where you're mistaken,” Tara said gently, “Beasts weren't always beasts,” the priestess explained, “once they were the partners, the 'husbands' of women just like your mother is the partner of your birth mother...”

“No!” Alyssa gasped, “That's impossible...”

“No,” Tara shook her head sadly, “I know its hard to believe now, but beasts were once almost as intelligent as women, they worked, lived and partnered up with the woman they loved and fathered children and helped bring them up. Of course this all happened in the 'Happy Time' before the First came.”

“So what happened?” Alyssa asked quietly.

“Some say the First cast a powerful spell, others say he used a fiendish weapon like a disease,” Tara explained, “but whatever the truth, there was a plague, it only affected the men and turned them into the beasts we see today. They attacked and tried to kill all the women, but the brave women of that time banded together and fought the beasts off. Most of the beasts died or were killed, some went completely wild and lived out in the wilderness, others were captured and were used as breeding animals.”

“So it was all the First's fault?” Alyssa asked.

“Erm, maybe...”

“Maybe?”

“Well,” Tara gave Alyssa a puzzled frown, “there are some who say that it was a human weapon or spell that was supposed to help drive back the First but it went wrong some how and turned all the men into monsters.”

“No I can't believe that,” Alyssa shook her head, “how can you use a plague as a weapon, who would be so foolish to use it if you could?” Alyssa shook her head, “No, it must have been something the First did.”

“I have to say I agree with you, the story's too fantastic otherwise, but,” Tara paused for a breath, “there's is so much we don't understand from those times, I mean this all happened six or seven hundred years ago and we're not even sure of that. Everything was smashed after the wars and nearly all the records were lost and those few that survived seem too fantastical to believe...it's part of the way The Mother likes to test us. She wants us to grow so she gives us problems to solve and in solving them and sometimes even not solving them we learn more and we grown a little.”

“I see,” Alyssa said thoughtfully, “at least I think I do...”

“I try...” Tara sounded a little dissatisfied, “...you know talking to you has made me think that The Mother is giving me one of her tests...”

“You do?” Alyssa asked eagerly, “What is it?”

“Well,” Tara thought deeply for a moment about the idea that had suddenly popped into her mind, “I'm not doing much good here, am I?” she gestured to the run down church, “Its not that people don't venerate The Mother and the Saints but they prefer to do it in their own way in their own homes, so I'm thinking what good am I doing here?”

“And...?”

“I'm thinking that I might be doing more good at a temple in a village somewhere...” Tara smiled, “...perhaps in a village that's menaced by Injuns?”

0=0=0=0

At the every moment that Alyssa was having some of her questions answered and Tara was having her 'Road to Sanfrisco' moment, Amanda was walking along Main Street. After her little act of 'worship' with Tara she'd decided she needed to get the word out that she was looking for a few good slayers for a very special job. Having already spoken to the sheriff she was now heading to the Red Saloon to talk to the landlady and get her to send any applicants to the Temple of The Mother to be interviewed.

Half way to the saloon Amanda was distracted by a commotion in a vacant lot between two stores. Pushing her way through the crowd of boisterous, children, teens and not a few adults Amanda found herself with a good view of the overgrown lot and the two slayers standing in the middle of the area of coarse grass and stunted bushes. Both slayers were using their knives to cut branches into the rough shape of sabres, obviously, Amanda thought, the two slayers were having a disagreement of some kind and had decided to settle their argument without resort to steel and too much blood.

Once the slayers were satisfied with their weapons they faced off against one another. Amanda watched in interest as the slayers brought their fake swords up to salute each other before going into the 'en garde' position, the last four inches of their 'blades' crossing. The crowd went quiet as the slayers stared into each others eyes as they watched for any sign the other was going to attack. After twenty heartbeats or so the slayers leapt at each other each uttering high pitched warcries as they did so. The wooden sabres flashed through the air making the crowd gasp at the display of speed and skill

Then it seemed that almost before the fight had started it was over. The slayers stood with their swords against each others necks, if the blades had been real, both slayers would now be down and breathing their last, or at least so it seemed. Amanda replayed the fight over in her head and it seemed to her that the shorter slayer had been just a fraction of a breath faster.

“That was a draw,” announced the taller of the slayers, “in a real fight we'd both be dead.”

“No,” said the shorter slayer, she was actually about five-foot-six in height.

“No?”

“I was faster, you'd be dead,” the shorter slayer cast away her wooden sword and picked up her real weapon before sliding it back into her sash, “I won.”

“You won!?” the taller slayer cried, “It must be your time of the month because something is obviously affecting your brain, it was a draw!”

“Are you calling me a liar?” the shorter slayer turned to face the taller her strong hands already moving towards her sword.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” the taller slayer was now holding her sabre in her hands, one hand on the hilt the other on the scabbard, “you want to make something of that?”

This time when the swords came out there was no salute, bright steel flashed in the air as the blades rang together sending sparks flying to land amongst the dust and grass. The slayers fought for maybe ten breaths and then all was silence once more. The shorter slayer stepped back from her opponent as she stood motionless with a surprised look on her face. The short slayer wiped the blood from the tip of her sword before returning it to its scabbard. Slowly at first then picking up speed with every moment the taller slayer fell to lie dead in the grass her life's blood soaking into the dry earth. Although Amanda hated to see slayers fight each other and hated even more to see them kill each other, she had to admit that the shorter slayer was extremely skilful and would certainly improve her own chances of survival when fighting Injun warparties, she decided to walk over and introduce herself.

“Hi,” Amanda called as she walked over to the shorter slayer, “you're very skilful you must practice a lot.”

“I do,” agreed the short woman laconically, her eyes were green but there was no warmth in them; her hair was pulled tightly back from her long, thin, face and almost colourless lips.

“My name is Amanda and I've a little proposition I'd like to make to you.”

“Emma,” Emma replied but added nothing more.

“Emma, eh?” Amanda looked at the other slayer, she was slim and only an inch or two shorter than herself and looked to be near her own age, maybe a couple of years younger.

Her slayer outfit was light grey and completely unadorned by any decoration, even her sash was only a darker shade of grey and Amanda wasn't sure whether that was by design or not. Emma had dark hair and skin which gave her the look of the people who lived to the south of the City of Angels.

“Yes,” Emma picked up her bundle which probably contained all her worldly belongings, “what is your proposition?”

“How'd you like to join me and a few other specially chosen slayers in defending a village against a band of Injuns and demons?”

“No...”

“No?” Amanda didn't quite believe her ears, what slayer could resist the chance of taking part in a hopeless battle against enormous odds...obviously this one!

“I wish only to perfect my skills,” Emma explained, “I have no wish or need to involve myself in hopeless struggles against the First's minions...but thank-you for asking me, now if you've finished I must go.”

“Erm...yeah...go,” of all the answers Amanda had expected 'no' hadn't been one of them, “Life's weird,” she told herself quietly, “oh well, better luck next time,” turning she almost walked into a large, heavy set woman with fire red hair and a huge sword held over her shoulder, “I beg your pardon!” Amanda said as she stepped back to get a better view of the woman.

“Y'all say somethin' about a fight?” the woman drawled slowly.

“Erm yeah,” Amanda nodded, the woman looked ferocious enough and she wondered if she was as good as she appeared to be, “Amanda...” Amanda introduced herself.

“Skyla,” replied the woman, “well?”

“Erm, yes,” Amanda ordered her thoughts, “there's a village just west of here that's being attacked by...”

“I'm in,” Skyla moved her sword from her shoulder; resting the tip in the dust at her feet and placed her hands and chin on the pommel, it was only then that Amanda realised just how big her sword really was, Skyla grinned, “yuh had me at 'attacked'...”

“It doesn't pay much,” Amanda pointed out, “in fact it doesn't pay anything other than food, board and a vague promise of village girls to keep you company at night.”

“Y'all heard me say yuh had me at 'attacked', right?”

“Don't you want to know how many we are and what we'll be facing,” Amanda asked not really believing what she was hearing.

“Too few an' too many's my guess.”

“Yeah, that's about it,” Amanda agreed, “erm...I don't mean to sound disrespectful but you do know how to use that thing,” she pointed to the sword.

With a blur of silver steel, the sword was out of its scabbard and Amanda felt the edge of the blade touching her head where she parted her hair.

“Reckon so,” Skyla smiled.

“Okay!” Amanda sighed with relief as Skyla put up her sword and returned it to her scabbard, “care to join me for a beer?”

“Reckon I would,” Skyla grinned as she turned and walked towards the saloon with Amanda.

0=0=0=0


	7. Chapter 7

Walking back towards the temple after having a couple of beers with Skyla, Amanda was distracted by yet another curious sound as the two slayers walked along Main Street. Telling Skyla to meet her at the temple later, Amanda stopped at the mouth of an alley way, and cocked her head to listen.

“Ha!” Thump! Came the sound from the other end of the alley.

Thinking that perhaps The Mother was trying to tell her something or maybe she was being pushed in a particular direction, Amanda followed her instincts and walked cautiously along the alley way until she came to the far end.

“HA!” Thump! Came the sound again.

Turning slightly, Amanda saw a large woodpile behind one of the stores that faced onto Main Street, the sound of another 'HA! Thump!' reached her ears followed moments later by the sight of a couple of pieces of wood being thrown into the air to land on top of the woodpile. Her curiosity piqued, Amanda walked over to the woodpile and peered over the top. On the other side of the pile of split logs she saw a young, blonde woman stripped to the waist who was just positioning another log on a chopping block. Once the woman was satisfied the log was in the right position, she'd raise the wood axe that she held loosely in her right hand, took hold of it in both hands above her head and brought it down on the log with a cry of 'HA!' as she split the log neatly in two.

The young woman seemed happy in her work because when she wasn't saying 'HA!' she was humming softly to herself as she set up another log for 'execution'. Looking away from the young woman, Amanda saw her slayer's sabre resting against a pile of uncut logs. Her tunic and under-shirt hung from the shaft of an old wagon near by along with a bedding roll and snap-sack. As the blonde set up yet another log, Amanda turned her gaze back to the woman herself. Amanda saw the sweat rolling down between her small, firm breasts, she also noticed the faint scars on the woman's arms and body. There was one which wasn't so faint on the right hand side of her body just under her ribs. When the woman turned to pick up another log Amanda saw a matching scar on her back.

Wincing with sympathetic pain, Amanda realised that the young woman must have been run through with a sword or spear and pretty recently too. A slayer's scars generally faded fairly quickly, even bad ones became unnoticeable after only a few months. Her own body was covered in scars of various sizes but unless you really started looking for the faint marks the casual observer wouldn't notice them. Considering how a slayer picked up scars from wounds that would kill a normal woman this was one of the better things The Mother did to you when she turned you into a slayer. Of course had The Mother not turned you into a slayer in the first place you wouldn't collect all the scars.

“Hi,” Amanda let her presence be known as she stepped around the woodpile.

“Hi, yourself,” the blonde replied as she lined up another log for certain 'death', the axe rose and fell and the log was split in two and eventually joined its slain siblings on the woodpile.

“What are you doing?” Amanda asked, the young blonde woman, to Amanda's eyes she looked to be in her early to mid twenties.

“Cutting wood,” the younger woman paused in her work and stood up to look at Amanda.

“May I ask why a slayer is cutting fire wood?” Amanda could now see how short the woman was now she was standing up straight, she couldn't have been more than a couple of inches over five foot.

“Totally,” the young woman grinned to herself as she positioned another log.

“Alright,” Amanda sighed heavily, “why are you cutting fire wood?”

“I'm hungry,” the short slayer lifted her axe once more and killed another piece of tree, “the store keeper said she'd feed me if I cut her some firewood.”

“Hmmm,” Amanda looked at the great pile of recently split logs, “you must be very hungry.”

“Yeah,” agreed the blonde, “haven't eaten in a couple of days or so.”

“I see,” Amanda nodded her head before asking, “where did you get that scar?”

“What this?” the blonde placed her hand over the scar under her ribs, “oh, you know around...I was fighting a whole bunch of demons up north aways and one of them got behind me and stuck its spear right through me.”

“Ooch!”

“Yeah,” the blonde grinned at Amanda, “that's about what I thought, luckily the people I was with got me out before I was killed.”

“But you're obviously alright now,” Amanda gestured to all the cut wood.

“Yeah,” the woman smiled, she had good teeth and a nice, bright smile, “you could even say I was feeling pretty chipper.” 

Amanda groaned at the 'joke'. 

“So,” the blonde went on, “what can I do for you, although its like totally fun shooting the breeze an'all but as you can see I've still got plenty of wood to cut before I get to eat.”

“Indeed,” Amanda nodded her head, “I'm Amanda by the way.”

“Buffy,” the blonde replied, “nice to meet you Amanda...I knew another Amanda once,” Buffy looked sad for a moment, “way long ago now...she died.”

“It happens to the best of us,” Amanda shrugged helplessly.

“Yeah it sure does,” Buffy agreed with a heavy sigh, “over and over again...”

“Sorry?”

“Oh nothing,” Buffy shrugged, “so like I say, nice to meet you Amanda who's not dead.”

“Buffy...” Amanda paused for a breath, “...not many mother's call their daughters 'Buffy'.”

“You're telling me,” Buffy agreed with some feeling, “I don't know what mine was thinking.”

“Yes, so much responsibility,” Amanda pointed out, “so many things to live up to...being brave, self sacrificing,” Amanda shrugged and smirked, “all the dying and coming back to life again...”

“Whatever,” Buffy shrugged, “I do what I can, y'know?”

“Don't we all,” Amanda agreed as she regarded the young woman called Buffy, “In the spirit of us doing what we can, I was wondering if you'd be interested in an exciting opportunity that's come my way.”

“You're not trying to sell me something are you,” Buffy shrugged, “coz like I say, I've totally got exactly _no_ cash.”

“No,” Amanda shook her head.

“Then an 'exciting opportunity' sounds like something that'll get me totally killed.”

“Crossing a busy street might get you killed,” Amanda pointed out reasonably, “but if you died because of this 'opportunity' it would be for something worthwhile.”

“Okay, I'll bite,” Buffy gave Amanda one of her brightest smiles, “what's this opportunity all about?”

“I'll tell you what,” Amanda found herself smiling too, “what say I buy you a beer and a meal and we can talk about it?”

“Lemonade.”

“Lemonade?”

“Yeah,” Buffy put down her axe and walked over to a rain butt standing under the eaves of the store's roof, “beer and Buffy are two un-mixy things, weird stuff tends to happen and I go all 'cave-slayer'.”

“Cave-slayer?”

“Trust me,” Buffy splashed water on her face and scrubbed her under arms, “it's not a pretty sight.”

“I'll trust you...” Amanda chuckled, “come let me buy you that meal and glass of lemonade.”

“What about this,” Buffy gestured to the woodpile.

“I think the storekeeper has enough fire wood now, Buffy.”

“Whatever,” Buffy said happily as she put on her under shirt and tunic.

0=0=0=0

Thirty minutes later Amanda and Buffy were sitting in one of Oxnade's more basic eating houses where the prices were reasonable and the food was simple but wholesome. Amanda sat across the table from Buffy as she ate her way through piles of sausages, pork chops, fried potatoes, mushrooms, beans and fresh bread. The slayer hadn't been lying when she'd said she hadn't eaten for a couple of days. It was odd, as Amanda had found out for herself over the years, that although slayers habitually ate a lot they could also go about a week on little or no food before it started to affect her abilities. Another thing was that once a slayer had reached her 'natural' weight it didn't seem to matter how much she ate, she just didn't get fat.

“You enjoying that?” Amanda asked as she cautioned herself not to get her hands too close to Buffy's mouth, she'd be likely to lose a finger or two if she did.

“Hmmm,” Buffy swallowed before speaking, “do they do deserts here?”

“I believe they serve a damned fine apple pie...”

“With icecream?” Buffy asked hopefully.

“Icecream?”

“Its something you have with apple pie where I come from,” Buffy pointed out.

“We can but ask,” Amanda replied.

“So tell me about this 'opportunity',” Buffy asked before tearing apart a pork chop with her sharp, unnaturally white teeth, “I can totally listen while I eat.”

“Okay, here goes,” Amanda took a deep breath, “about a couple of day's march to the west of here is a village called Sunnidee...”

Amanda paused while Buffy recovered from inhaling a piece of pork.

“What?” she croaked after taking a mouthful of lemonade to wash down the badly swallowed meat, “You're kidding me right?”

“No,” Amanda shook her head, “you've heard of this place, Sunnidee?”

“Erm...not as such,” Buffy replied quickly, “I was just taken by surprise coz its the name of a place near where I grew up.”

“And where was that?”

“Oh, nowhere near here,” Buffy glanced at Amanda and decided she needed to say a little more, “up north aways, north of Sanfrisco.”

“Oh,” Amanda nodded her head before continuing, “anyway this village has been raided two or three times this year by Injuns and demons. The villagers are desperate, chances are the village will be destroyed this time and the villagers will be carried off or killed.”

“Carried off?” Buffy asked between mouthfuls, “I'm sorry I've not had much experience with 'Injuns', demons yeah but 'Injuns' no.”

“The Injuns carry off villagers and force them to have children to make their tribe bigger and stronger,” Amanda paused for a moment as she considered the long term consequences of these raids, “If this sort of thing is allowed to go on, in twenty years time we'll be trying to fight off hordes of Injuns. You also have to remember that the Injuns have their own slayers and they're quite happy to allied themselves with the more 'human' types of demon.”

“I get that,” Buffy nodded as she soaked up the gravy and grease on her plate with a heel of bread, “So, I'm guessing we'll be totally outnumbered and the situation is grave?”

“Yes...”

“Who'd have guessed?” Buffy smiled before licking her fingers clean and looking around for a waitress.

“The trouble is the pay's not that good,” Amanda shrugged helplessly.

“We're gonna get paid!?” for a moment Buffy looked so shocked she stopped trying to catch the waitress' eye.

“Yes, but only food and lodgings plus the possibility of village girls to share your bed and keep you warm at night.”

“Food's good,” Buffy waved her hand at the waitress to come over, “Apple pie please, and please tell me you've got icecream...” As it turned out there was no icecream but there was ordinary cream to go with the pie so Buffy made do with that. “Lodgings are better...and girls, well I can take 'em or leave 'em.”

“You're not gay are you?” Amanda asked quietly; although she thought women who enjoyed sex with Beasts were perverts she'd make an exception for Buffy because first; she was a slayer and second; she'd realised that she really quite liked her, even if it did turn out she was a pervert.

“Gay?” Buffy nearly choked once more, this time on her apple pie, “No!” now Buffy appeared to be trying to stop herself from laughing, “I'm not 'gay',” the idea seemed to amuse her greatly, “It's just that I've never had much time for...girls and relationships and...” Buffy appeared to remember something, “...there was a girl once, another slayer, I kinda liked her but she totally let me down.”

“Let you down?”

“Yeah, it ended badly,” Buffy shrugged, “she started murdering people and we ended up trying to kill each other and even that didn't work out so well.”

“It didn't?”

“Nah,” Buffy shook her head, “we both survived.”

“I see, so the relationship was doomed from start to finish, what do you think?”

“Think?”

“About saving the village?”

“Great idea, I'm totally fine with it,” Buffy said eagerly, “What's there not to like? A village in peril, danger, swarms of 'Injuns', demons, bad pay and maybe girls...like wow!”

“So you're interested?”

“Have I got any choice?” Buffy asked sobering a little as she poked at her apple pie, “This is the first time I've eaten in days, I've got no money and nowhere to go. You're the best offer I've had in like, forever!”

“So you're in?”

“I'm in,” Buffy nodded before demolishing her pie.

“I'm betting you've nowhere to sleep?” Amanda asked.

“You'd win that bet,” Buffy pointed out, “I was sorta hoping the storekeeper would let me sleep in her storeroom after I'd cut all that extra wood.”

“That won't be a problem,” Amanda pointed out, “I'm sure Tara has a spare bed if you don't mind giving a donation.”

“A donation?” Buffy frowned a little, “Like I said I've got like zero dinero.”

“Not that sort of donation,” Amanda laughed, “Tara is a priestess, her favourite saint is St Anya patron Saint of Orgasms...she's very devote.”

“Oh boy...” Buffy sighed.

0=0=0=0

On returning to the temple with Buffy in tow, Amanda found the place a hive of activity. Tara was supervising the farmers as they cleaned and repaired the little church. Inside she found Alyssa playing 'Four in a Row' with Emma the 'expert' slayer. 'Four in a Row' was a game of strategy and tactics; one player played the slayers while the other played the demons. The pieces were laid out on a squared board, the slayer player had to form a straight line of slayers either orthogonally or diagonally while the demon player tried to disrupt the slayer line. If the slayer player got four of her pieces in a line she won. If the demon player could prevent this by the time the slayer ran out of pieces she won. From what Amanda could see it looked like Alyssa, who was playing the slayers, was getting her butt well and truly kicked. Laying down her piece and there by winning yet another game, Emma turned when she sensed Amanda and Buffy walk into the temple, she stood up and faced Amanda giving the older slayer a respectful bow.

“I thought deeply about what you said,” Emma announced, “and it occurred to me that learning all I could and perfecting my slayer skills was pointless without using them for what they were intended...I will join your party, Amanda the Slayer.”

“You are welcome,” Amanda stepped over to the other slayer and shook her hand before turning to introduce Buffy, “And this is another member of our happy band of sisters, Buffy...”

“Buffy?” Alyssa, Tara and Emma chorused.

“Hey, please don't disrespect the name,” Buffy cried.

“No disrespect was intended,” Tara advanced on the short slayer, “The Mother has sent us a sign by sending you to us, we can't possibly fail now...” she paused for a moment before speaking again, “...of course it might not be a sign at all and we're all going to die horribly-horribly!”

“Oh great,” Buffy muttered almost too quietly for anyone to hear, “a joker priestess.”

“We?” Amanda turned to face Tara.

“Yes I said, 'we',” Tara drew herself up to her full height.

“You're intending to come with us?” Amanda asked, “I won't allow it!”

“How will you stop me?” Tara countered.

Buffy walked over to stand next to Emma and whispered, “Lover's spat?”

“I'm not sure,” Emma shrugged, “I only arrived here this morning.”

“Whatever...” Buffy shrugged too.

“I'll find a way,” Amanda replied.

“You need me,” Tara informed Amanda, “I have powers.”

“What powers?” Amanda demanded indignantly.

“I'm a fully qualified healer, you'll need your wounds bound up,” Tara pointed out, “you might all be slayers but you still bleed and what about the villagers?”

“What about them?”

“Well, if you're going to have them fight what about their wounds?”

“She's right, you know,” Buffy called, Amanda looked at Buffy as if she'd just stabbed her in the back.

There was a long silence before Amanda sighed in defeat, “You're right of course and I apologies for trying to tell you what to do...”

“Hi y'all!” came a loud voice from the door as Skyla stepped into the temple.

“Oh!” Amanda turned to see the red-haired slayer and her huge sword standing in the doorway. “This is Skyla she's agreed to join our group.”

“Buffy,” Buffy waved, “welcome to the Magnificent Six.”

“Emma,” Emma bowed in Skyla's direction, “I am honoured to meet you.”

“This is Tara our Priestess and Alyssa my pupil,” Amanda introduced everyone in turn, “those,” Amanda pointed to where the farmers who stood clutching brushes, hammers and paintbrushes to their chests, “are our employers.”

“How-dee,” Skyla gave everyone a big, open smile, “pleased to meet y'all.”

“Well, seeing how we're all here and time is of the essence,” Amanda said slowly, “we might as well start out tomorrow morning.”

0=0=0=0


	8. Chapter 8

**The Temple.**

“So,” Amanda spoke quietly as she adjusted the straps holding her bed roll together, “how did your 'devotions' with Tara go last night?”

“You know,” Buffy grinned as she hung her own bed roll over her shoulder, “I really think I've seen the light!”

“You have?”

“Totally,” Buffy nodded as she got her equipment into a more comfortable position, “it made me reassess my attitude to girls in my bed and I'm seriously considering becoming a convert to the Cult of St Anya.”

“She does banking too,” Amanda chuckled quietly as the rest of the party packed up and made ready to leave the temple.

“Banking?” Buffy frowned at the older slayer.

“St Anya's the patron saint of orgasms _and_ banking.”

“HA!” Buffy laughed, “I should have known!”

“Okay people,” Amanda called as she put her head through the ring of her own bed roll and settled it more comfortably across her body, “we've got over thirty miles to travel, so lets get started. If we do twenty miles today we should reach Sunnidee by tomorrow afternoon.”

There were some muttered complaints, but everybody picked up their gear before walking out into the temple's aisle and heading towards the door. Everyone had paid off their bills at their lodging (Ma' Mackenzie was pretty tearful as Amanda paid her bill, the old lady told her to be careful and come back safe), if they had lodgings that is. That night they'd all slept at the temple so they'd be able to get an early start. Although Amanda wanted to get twenty miles under their belts on the first day, it wouldn't be too hard a march; the road between Oxnade and Sunnidee was well maintained and usually bandit free.

“Before we go,” Tara called from under her own pack, “I think we should say a prayer...” there was some more muttering as slayers shuffled their feet impatient to be on their way; a moment or two later, however they all stood with their heads respectfully bowed, “Fooled you!” Tara laughed, “Oh you should have seen your faces... _stupid priestess' always wanting to pray, mumble-mumble_!” Tara laughed again as she pushed her way through the crowd of slightly annoyed slayers, “The Mother knows exactly what we're doing because she's everywhere, even in our hearts, it would be pointless to ask her for her blessing because if she hadn't already given it we wouldn't be going...all powerful you see?”

“Right!” Amanda straightened her tunic before turning to open the temple door, “Now our priestess has finished with her little joke...”

“And it was a _little_ joke,” Skyla called.

“...maybe we can get a move on!” Amanda pulled open the temple doors and strode out into the early morning sun, only to stop dead in her tracks.

“You're a hard woman to track down, bitch!” a rather plump woman with a round face and long black hair tied into two braids stood belligerently blocking the party's route to the road.

“So you found me again, shorty,” Amanda replied; the woman blocking her path wasn't actually short, but it was the best insult that Amanda could come up with on the spur of the moment.

“I suppose you thought you could run off on some damn fool adventure without me, huh?” the other woman said as her hand reached for the hilt of her sabre, she was obviously a slayer even if she didn't actually look very much like one.

“I'd been hoping,” Amanda said as she shifted her weight ready to fight.

“MANDY!” cried the woman her face splitting into a huge grin as she opened her arms and rushed towards Amanda.

“MOLLY!” Amanda replied as she too opened her arms wide and ran towards the mystery woman.

The two women collided and hugged each other fiercely, it was obvious that they knew each other well.

“Amanda told me never to call her 'Mandy',” Alyssa whispered to Buffy as they stood next to each other on the porch as the two old friends got reacquainted.

“Well, they sure do know each other,” Buffy pointed out.

“People!” Amanda broke free of her friend's embrace before turning to look at her other friends, “this is my friend Molly the only person in the world who can get away with calling me 'Mandy'...so don't any of you start...”

“Sure thing, Mandy.”

“Never crossed our minds Mandy.” 

“Nice to meet your friend, Mandy.”

“Okay you assholes knock it off,” Molly sprang to her friend's defence before turning to look at Amanda again, “You look well you long streak of piss, what ya been up to?”

“Well, pig-woman, I'm leading this sorry crowd,” Amanda gestured to the slayers standing in front of the temple, “to rescue a village from a band of Injuns and demons, want in?”

“Are the odds overwhelming?” Molly wanted to know.

“I wouldn't have said 'overwhelming' but they're not good,” Amanda explained.

“Will our lives be in peril from the moment we start out on this quest?”

“Meh,” Amanda shrugged.

“Will our rewards be great and will people remember our actions for hundreds of years to come?”

“Well maybe,” Amanda admitted, “but not so much with the rewards.”

“Thank the Mother for that,” Molly laughed, “I hate it when people make a fuss...I'm in if you'll have me.”

“Of course we'll have you,” Amanda cried as she hugged her friend again.

“Seven,” Buffy said quietly.

“What?” Alyssa asked.

“Seven,” Buffy repeated, “Like the Magnificent Seven.”

“The magnificent who?” Alyssa frowned.

“Remind me to tell you the story later,” Buffy replied as the party started to move off down the street.

0=0=0=0

“Why do people hate us?” Alyssa asked as she walked down the road along side Tara, “Slayers I mean.”

It was a couple of hours after the party had left the temple in Oxnade and they were making good progress, if they continued at this rate they were sure to reach the village by the following afternoon.

“I don't think people hate you...” Tara began but was interrupted by Alyssa.

“But Amanda said...”

“My dear girl,” Tara counter interrupted, “Amanda is in many ways a fine woman and slayer and a brave and loyal friend too, but...” the priestess took a deep breath then let it out in a heavy sigh, “...but I don't think you should take seriously what she says about how other people think.”

“Why?”

“Well...” Tara paused again as she ordered her thoughts, “...she's old, for a slayer, and I think what she's seen over the years weighs heavily on her soul, it colours her outlook on life. Now back to you original question, why do people hate slayers...” Tara smiled at the young slayer reassuringly, “...they don't 'hate' slayers but I think that people are a little frightened of you so they try to cover it up by being unkind.”

“Frightened?” Alyssa frowned, “But we protect people from the First's minions and like now we're going to save these farmers from the Injuns...”

“Yes and look how the farmers keep away from you,” Tara pointed out, “look how they march in their own little group ten paces behind you, its because they're afraid.”

“But why?” Alyssa glanced over her shoulder and saw the little huddle of farmers keeping their distance.

“Well,” Tara shrugged, “you're so much stronger than they are...”

“But we need to be stronger to protect them from the demons,” Alyssa pointed out, “and our strength comes from The Mother she chose us to be strong.”

“Of course,” Tara nodded, “The Mother is the source of your strength, but listen to yourself, you keep calling them, 'them'...see you've got me doing it now,” the priestess laughed lightly, “You almost sound as if they're different to you.”

“But they are,” Alyssa was finding it difficult to explain what she was feeling and what she was thinking, “Slayers are stronger, faster and more intelligent than mun...”

“Ah!” Tara cried, “You were going to call them 'mundanes' weren't you?”

Alyssa nodded guiltily.

“And that's what makes them frightened,” Tara tried to explain, “they know they can never be as good as you, but I'll tell you this, my girl; if you go around thinking that ordinary people aren't as smart as you you're in for a big surprise...when was the last time a slayer invented something that wasn't a weapon, hmm?”

Try as she might Alyssa couldn't think of anything.

“Okay, I'll give you that,” Alyssa admitted, “But you still haven't explained why people are frightened of us when all we try to do is try to 'protect and serve'.”

“Hmmm,” Tara thought for a moment before saying, “you know that every year there are more slayers than the previous year?”

“I did not,” Alyssa admitted.

“I do, the Church keeps records of these things,” Tara explained, “Twenty-five years ago only one girl in a thousand was destined to grow into a slayer, five years ago it was one in a hundred...”

“The same as the number of beasts born?” Alyssa asked.

“Yes,” Tara nodded, “in twenty years there's been a ten fold increase in slayers being born, I think people know that or at least feel it and they wonder what it means. They wonder if it means a return to the 'Bad Times' with The First running riot across the world. Because then we'd need more slayers to stop him...”

“Like The Mother is making more slayers against the time the hellmouths open again?” Alyssa wanted to know.

“Now I've heard it said that the number of slayers to normals being born is now around one in fifty,” Tara said quietly, “I think people are afraid that one day there'll be enough slayers to take over...”

“Take over?”Alyssa gasped, “Slayers would never do that!”

“Really?” Tara asked, “Never?”

“Well...” Alyssa replied uncertainly.

“What about when the slayer birthrate is one in two, what then?”

“I don't know,” Alyssa shook her head wishing she'd never started this conversation.

“Neither do I,” Tara shrugged, “I might be a priestess but I'd never be so arrogant as to claim to know what The Mother is thinking. Perhaps this is just the next step in human development. Or perhaps The Mother knows that The First's hordes are going to burst from the hellmouths and she'll need armies of slayers to vanquish them again. Maybe its none of those things but it doesn't change the fact that people fear you and sometimes that fear expresses itself as hate. Like the old saying goes; Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate and hate leads to the dark side.”

“It does?”

“So they say,” Tara replied with a shrug.

“What about you?” Alyssa asked, “You don't fear us.”

“That's because I come from a long line of Watcher-Priestess',” Tara replied proudly, “Some claim that my family stretches back to The Time Before, but I think that's all poppy-cock, if it were true that would mean I was related to St Buffy herself or one of her sisters...” Emma trotted by the priestess and novice distracting Tara from what she was about to say next, “...Oh! I wonder if there's trouble?”

0=0=0=0

Walking at the head of the little column, Amanda was getting caught up with her friend Molly, they'd not seen each other in over a year, not since the Governor had sent her armies against The First's stronghold near The Long Beach. That had been a bloody fight, casualties amongst the slayers and the Governor's mundane troops had been high, but they'd slaughtered The First's minions to the last demon. Just as the two older slayers were asking each other which of their comrades had died or survived, Emma trotted up beside Amanda to walk beside her.

“We're being followed,” Emma informed Amanda.

“You sure,” Amanda asked, “after all this is a road and its not unusual for people who aren't following us to use it.”

“I'm sure,” Emma replied.

“How many?” Amanda was of the opinion that if Emma was 'sure' then it was best to be cautious.

“Just the one with a packhorse.”

“One?”

“Yes,” Emma nodded, “but they don't come closer or drop back they just keep us in sight.”

“Perhaps they're frightened of us and think we're the bandits.”

“Or she's the lookout for a band of bandits awaiting their chance to attack and rob us.”

“Okay,” Amanda admitted, “you've won me over,” she glanced ahead; the region they were travelling through was well wooded; up ahead the road turned to the right and they'd be hidden from anyone following the group. “Look we'll go round that bend and stop, you take another slayer with you and slip off the track, When our friend bumps into us you appear behind her, okay?”

“Just what I was going to suggest,” Emma agreed.

“Who will you take?”

“Buffy,” Emma replied.

“Good, I'd like to see how she works too.”

Emma cracked a small smile before dropping back to collect Buffy before disappearing into the woods on either side of the road.

0=0=0=0

“As I live and breath,” the ambush had been sprung and the 'bandit' had been trapped between the two groups of slayers; Amanda returned her sabre to its scabbard, “Deputy Diaz...now what are you doing here, come to arrest us?”

“Its a free road,” Diaz replied defensively, “I just wanted to get away from town for a while, do some hunting.”

“Now I wonder what you'd be hunting with that rapier and buckler?” Amanda raise a sceptical eyebrow, “The bow I can understand but...”

“Okay, okay!” Diaz sighed in defeat, “You got me, I was bored playing second fiddle to the Sheriff so I thought I'd come and give you a hand.”

“A hand?” Amanda gave a half smile.

“Yeah I know I'm not a slayer but I can shoot the eye out of a tree-rat at one hundred paces and I'm pretty good with this rapier...”

“We could do with a good archer,” Skyla pointed out.

“And most of who we'll be fighting are human so if she's as good at the old swosh and buckle as she thinks she is...” Emma said speaking more words at one time than she had since she joined the group.

“I have supplies too,” Diaz pointed to her pack mule, “I've brought spicy sausages and good beer.”

“Beer?” Skyla licked her lips and looked hopefully at Amanda. 

“Okay,” Amanda relented, she'd been about to send the deputy packing, “you can stay, but no arresting anyone until after the fighting's done.”

“Right,” Diaz smiled, “No arresting...although it does sound like this village could do with a good sheriff.”

“And you see yourself in that roll?” Amanda asked as the party started to move again, “Why not? The spread of law and order goes together with the spread of civilisation.”

“Mostly I think law and order and civilisation are over rated,” Skyla announced as she eyed the beer barrel on Diaz's pack mule's back, “now what sort of beer did yuh bring?”

0=0=0=0

As it turned out even taking it fairly easily, the slayers, their priestess and the deputy quickly completed twenty miles that first day. They camped in a little glen by a stream and had a restful night untroubled by bandits, Injuns or demons, although the beer was strictly rationed. In the morning after a good breakfast of spicy sausages and bread they marched on down the road. The sun was just starting to slide into afternoon when they reached the ancient cliffs above the village of Sunnidee. Looking down through a gap in the trees the slayers and their friends saw the village.

“Is that what we've come to defend?” Skyla asked sounding very unimpressed.

“Its our home,” Katie said as she led the other farmers forward to catch a glimpse of home, she pointed off to the left, “There's a path down to the old low road through the trees, this 'high road' passes along the top of the cliffs and joins the track that enters the village on its north side.”

“Which do you recommend?” Amanda asked.

“Unless you want everyone to think we're Injuns,” Katie explained, “I'd take the low road...”

“Not the high road?” Amanda asked.

 _“And I'll me in Oregon before ye!”_ chorused the slayers before bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Idiots,” Amanda explained to the confused farmer, “okay, the low road it is...and no more singing.”

“That was singing?” Tara sniggered.

The pathway was easily found and Katie led the slayers down to the Low Road, from there it was only a short walk to the village proper. As they entered the hamlet, Amanda noted the run down appearance of the houses and the almost total absence of farm animals, there weren't even any dogs or cats about, it was only as she led the group into the central square that she realised what else was missing, there were no people. Halting the group she raised her hand for silence.

“Can anyone hear anything?” Amanda asked.

“Not a sound,” Molly replied, “just the chickens.”

There were soft 'shing' noises as sabres were drawn from their scabbards and the slayers formed themselves into a loose circle around the farmers and the priestess, Diaz quickly retrieved her bow from her pack mule before expertly stringing it and notching an arrow.

“Perhaps the Injuns came early,” Buffy suggested.

“No,” Katie pointed to the fields, “the crops are still in the ground.”

“So where is everyone?” Alyssa wanted to know.

“They're hiding!” Katie said in disgust she turned to look at her sister farmers who cowered away from her in fear. “The cowards!” Katie cried, “THIS IS NO WAY TO GREET GUESTS WHO'VE COME TO HELP US!” Still no one appeared to greet them. “COWARDS!” Katie yelled again, “YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!”

“Hold!” Emma said into the silence that followed Katie's outburst, “Someone's coming...”

_0=0=0=0_


	9. Chapter 9

**Sunnidee.**

“I apologies for my village, they are farmers and they are frightened,” Alexandra the old miller said as she stood at the west end of the village square supported by a couple of great-granddaughters.

The slayers and their friends stood in front of the little, bent over woman and listened impassively to what she had to say. After finding the village apparently deserted, Katie had ranted about the cowardice and ingratitude of her sister villagers until she had burst into tears and had to be comforted by Nicole. All this time the village showed no sign of life. Eventually the party had wandered off in the direction of the mill only to be met by the ancient miller as she walked in the opposite direction.

“They are frightened when they get up in the morning,” Alexandra explained, “and they are frightened when they go to bed at night,” the old woman sighed, “They're frightened that there'll be too much rain and they're frightened that there'll be too little. They're frightened that there'll be too much sun or not enough, they're frightened about finding a spider in the bath...”

“Hey, I like totally get that,” Buffy interjected, “I hate spiders...”

After Buffy's little show of solidarity with the villagers a silence fell over the group that stretched so long that it was starting to become embarrassing. Eventually Amanda spoke...

“What did they think we'd do to them?” she asked; however, before anyone could answer the village alarm bell started to ring urgently.

Very soon the village started to look like an ant hill that had been kicked by a small child. First one or two villages appeared from out of their houses, then more would appear to gaze around in terror. As the bell rang stridently more and more villagers appeared from their homes. Soon panic spread like wildfire and the villagers began to scream and cry and run around like frightened chickens.

“The Injuns are coming!” cried some, “FIRE!” called others as they ran backwards and forwards across the village square in mounting panic.

Dropping their packs the slayers drew their swords again and rushed towards the centre of the village searching for the Injun raiders that had precipitated this mass panic. Pushing through the throng of terrified people they could see no sign of any attackers. After a struggle they came to the raised area at the centre of the square, forming a loose defensive circle they stood at bay searching for any sign of the attackers.

“Where are the Injuns!?” Amanda demanded, “How many are there?” her questions were met with louder wails of distress and cries of panic.

“Which way are they coming from?” Molly wanted to know, but no one knew.

“Who rang the bell?” Skyla called.

“I DID!”

Everyone turned to see who'd shouted as Alyssa stepped down from the door of the little, old, tumble down village temple.

“You are all ungrateful cowards,” she told the villagers, as they slowly regained control of themselves, “you disgust me.”

Standing for a moment gazing at the crowd, Alyssa sneered at them before turning away and walking back into the temple.

“I think I'll go and look at the temple,” Tara told Amanda quietly, “and perhaps listen to someone's troubles.”

Amanda nodded her agreement before turning to Molly, “Take a couple of our people and do a sweep of the village perimeter,” she ordered, “you never know there might actually be an Injun or two around.”

Nodding her understanding, Molly gestured for Skyla and Deputy Diaz to follow her.

“Well,” Amanda sighed as she glanced down at Buffy who happened to be standing next of her, “lets not waste all of Alyssa's good work.”

“Okay...?” Buffy replied uncertainly.

“Alright you useless bunch of clod hoppers,” Amanda called out getting everyone's attention, she looked down into the fearful eyes of the villagers and wondered what she'd let herself in for. “We've come to help you fight the Injuns,” she explained; this seemed to make the villagers look up, this time with hope in their eyes. “But we can't do it all by ourselves,” the villagers wailed quietly in despair, “we need help and some of that help will be you fighting...”

The air was full of sobs and moans as the villagers expressed their fear at the thought of standing up to the Injuns.

“By the Holy Mother,” Amanda glanced at Buffy and Emma, “we'll never get this bunch to face the Injuns.”

“Hey,” Buffy tried to sound enthusiastic but it was obvious she was putting it on, “we'll whip 'em into shape I mean how long 'til the Injuns come back?”

“Good point,” Amanda sort out Katie who she found standing close by, not exactly with the slayers but not standing too far away either, “Katie how long 'til the Injuns come back?”

“They usually come after the harvest,” Katie replied.

“Which is?” Amanda wanted to know.

“Two, maybe three weeks.”

“Can't you hurry the harvest along?” Amanda asked revealing her total lack of farming knowledge.

“The potatoes, perhaps,” Katie admitted, “but the corn and barley need another couple of weeks to ripen.”

“Okay so we've got about three weeks to whip these...” Amanda gestured with disdain at the villagers, “...into some sort of fighting force. What do you think?”

“Huh?” Buffy replied quietly while Emma kept her own counsel.

“Alright, no need to knock me down in your rush to volunteer to train this bunch,” Amanda said sadly, “while they're all here we might as well see what we've got...form them into three ranks.”

After much pushing and shoving and yelling and explaining the concept of 'ranks' and 'three', Amanda, Buffy and Emma got the village women lined up into three, more or less, equal ranks. 

“That'll have to do,” Amanda shrugged, “how many have we got?”

“Just over two hundred,” Buffy called from the opposite end of the lines of women.

“All right,” Amanda called in a loud clear voice, “we're going to find out who can and can't fight, okay?”

There was mumbled agreement to this plan from the villagers.

“All pregnant women stand outside the temple,” Amanda ordered; less than a dozen women stepped out of line to walk over to the temple, this was a lot less than Amanda had expected, but then she remembered Katie saying something about the Injuns stealing the village beast in the spring raid.

“Alright,” Amanda spoke up again, “all nursing mothers go and stand by the pregnant women.”

This time about twenty women went to stand outside the village temple. A quick mental calculation told Amanda that she'd already lost nearly one in four of her possible fighting strength.

“Now any one under fifteen and over forty-five years of age go over to the temple.” this time a lot of women moved towards the church; Amanda watched as Buffy and Emma pushed the remaining women back into ranks, “How many have we got now?”

“Fifty-one,” Buffy called after doing a quick count.

“Like I say, it'll have to do,” Amanda sighed as she looked over her new command, “Right!” she turned towards the villagers making them flinch at the sound of her voice, “You are now the Sunnidee Village Militia and I will make heart-breakers and life-takers out of each and every one of you...surrender is not in our creed...say it!”

“Surrender is not in our creed,” the militia mumbled fearfully.

“LOUDER!” Amanda yelled.

“Surrender is not in our creed,” the militia said a little more loudly.

“Hoo-rah,” Amanda felt like crying.

“What do we do now?” Buffy asked as she came to stand near Amanda again.

“First we need weapons,” Amanda mused, “take a dozen of them and some axes and cut fifty or sixty spear shafts someone's bound to know where there's some suitable trees.”

“Yes ma'am!” Buffy grinned as she gave Amanda a cheeky salute before turning back to face the militia, “Right you, you and you lot,” she pointed to the dozen women at her end of the line, “follow me.”

“And what do you want me to do?” Emma spoke after a short pause.

“Wait here, maybe teach them to stand up straight and stop cowering,” Amanda sighed resignedly, “when the others come back send Molly to me in the temple while you start to drill them.”

“I obey,” Emma gave Amanda a slight bow before walking away to begin the militia's education.

Walking over to the temple, Amanda pushed her way through the crowd of confused village women and walked inside the little temple. Almost immediately she was confronted by Tara.

“What's wrong with Alyssa?” Amanda wanted to know.

“Nothing that a good cry and a hug won't cure,” the short priestess, gestured to where Alyssa sat near the altar, “leave her for now she'll be back to normal in a while...” Tara smiled reassuringly at the older slayer, “Now tell me, are we going to win?”

“How should I know?” Amanda shrugged, “I haven't been here a day yet.”

“But an experienced slayer like you should be able to make a guess,” Tara asked hopefully.

“Well,” Amanda took a deep breath, “if we can drill the militia so they don't all run away at the first sign of an Injun. If we can fortify the village, if there aren't too many Injuns, if they don't have too many of their own slayers with them, if there's not too many demons, if...”

“If…? Okay I get the picture,” Tara shrugged, “you want me to start the funeral service now or wait until after the Injuns actually turn up.”

“If I thought it was that bad I'd evacuate the village and head back to Oxnade,” Amanda pointed out.

“So, what should I do in the mean time?”

“Right, I want you to organise the non-fighters,” Amanda explained, “I need you to make sure that the village still works...like the fields are tended and meals are cooked and so on. Everyone needs to work together so there's no wasted effort while the rest of us drill the militia and build the defences.”

“I understand,” Tara nodded, “you want them to work like a religious commune, right?”

“Right,” Amanda agreed with a curt nod, “I'll leave you Diaz as your 'enforcer' there's bound to be a few who think they can go it alone and sneak off home; she wants to be Sheriff of this place so she might as well start now...so, what's the temple like?”

“Its good enough,” Tara admitted with a shrug, “there's some big old holes in the roof but they can be repaired later, I think I could make something of this place...if I live long enough.”

After speaking to Tara, Amanda walked back outside to see Emma teaching the militia to stand up straight, something it seemed most of them had never done before in their lives. Movement caught her eye as Molly returned with her patrol, leaving her two comrades to help Emma, Molly trotted over to join Amanda.

“Well?” Amanda asked shortly.

“It was as we suspected,” Molly replied, “not a sign of any Injuns or their demonic friends.”

“Good,” Amanda nodded, “perhaps we'll have enough time after all.”

0=0=0=0

After a fairly comfortable night spent in Katie's house, the slayers and their more normal comrades got to work. Deputy Diaz went with Tara to start organising the village's non-combatants, while Buffy, Emma and Skyla started to drill the militia in earnest. This left Amanda, Molly and Alyssa to walk around the village and plan the defences.

“So, we have four roads,” Amanda pointed to the rough map Alyssa was holding on a small drawing board, she and the others stood on the raised platform in the middle of the square while the squads of militia were marched and counter-marched around them. “We have the 'Low Road' which runs east to west. Then there's the sea road that crosses the river and goes down to the sea, how far away?”

“Almost five miles,” Alyssa explained, “most of it though trees and then dunes nearer the ocean.”

“Hmmm,” Amanda studied the map for a moment more; most of the village houses where arranged in a clump around the square, there was only the mill and a couple of other houses outside this area. “The west road goes to...?”

“There's nothing before Santamaria about thirty to forty miles away,” Alyssa told her, “the road runs along the ancient coast for about fifteen miles before turning inland.”

“Which leaves us with the cliff road,” Amanda turned to face the bluffs behind the village.

“Its quite steep,” observed Molly who'd looked it over the previous day, “but you can still ride down it easily enough.”

“The track up the slope connects with the High Road that runs along the cliff top,” Alyssa added some detail to her map, “and then north of that are the ruins of old Sunnidee, very overgrown or so the villagers tell me.”

“All right,” Amanda started to move towards the river, “lets start with the easy bit.”

“We'll be able to see them coming,” Molly observed as they looked out over the fields that stretched for nearly five hundred paces before ending in a line of trees to the south.”

“This is the easiest place to defend,” Amanda said mostly for Alyssa's benefit, “the bridge will have to go, but we can leave it up until the Injuns actually appear.”

“Shouldn't be difficult,” Molly observed, “Its basically just logs laid over a rough frame, we can use the logs to block off the road when the time comes.”

“In the mean time we clear the river banks, plant stakes on the home side and it would be nice if we could build a weir down steam and increase the water level,” she turned to Alyssa, “how deep is the water now?”

“About two feet from what Katie told me, nearer three on the far bank.”

“Hmm,” Amanda nodded, “it needs to be four feet at least, that'll slow the horses down, they don't like crossing water.”

As Alyssa made some notes on her map the little group moved on to the east end of the village; Amanda pointed off down the road towards Oxnade.

“We need to cut back any cover to bow shot if we have the time,” Amanda said, “same at the west end.”

“We can block the roads with a couple of carts full of stones,” Molly suggested.

“If this place has two carts to spare,” Amanda muttered darkly.

“Excuse me,” Alyssa said, “I know I'm only a novice, but if we block the roads won't the Injuns just ride around the barricades?”

“There,” Amanda smiled at her friend, “I told you she wasn't stupid...that's a good question, I intend to join the barricades with a wall of some sort.”

“A stockade or a proper wall would take too long to build,” Molly pointed out, “even if we had everyone working on it.”

“Yes,” Amanda nodded, “which is why I wasn't going to build one,” she went on to explain, “We'll plant heavy uprights every four or five yards and use them to anchor an entanglement. We'll connect the stakes with rope, nets if we can make or find them. We'll cut branches and sharpen the ends and place them so the sharp ends are pointing out. We can plant stakes to catch the horses in the chest and it would be nice to dig holes with spikes in the bottom to make them fall or spike their feet.”

“I see what you mean,” Molly agreed with a smile, “it shouldn't take us too long.”

“Now lets look at the cliff road,” Amanda lead the way through the village, as they passed through the square again she turned to Alyssa once more, “When we've finished this go ask Tara where the villagers get their drinking water from, it wouldn't do to have our water supply outside the perimeter.”

A few moments later they stood at the north edge of the village along side the cliff road.

“It's beautiful here,” Molly observed as they gazed out at the forest flowers that grew between the trees.

“It's also our most vulnerable point,” Amanda pointed up slope, “you were right, they can easily come down the track to attack, or they could dismount and advance through the trees, there's enough cover that we wouldn't see them until they're almost on top of us.”

“We'll have to hope that their pride keeps them in their saddles,” Molly referred to the Injun's reluctance to dismount to fight.

Amanda stood for a moment in the middle of the road looking up the slope of the road and then back into the village.

“This is where we'll kill them,” she announced.

“Huh?” Molly grunted.

“We leave this so it looks badly defended,” Amanda explained, “then we let them into the village a few at a time as we block off the road behind them with a forest of spear points,” Amanda saw the look of doubt on Alyssa's face, she smiled, “My dear Alyssa, the barricades we build to keep them out will also keep them in and we can kill them a few at a time.”

“I see,” Alyssa brightened as she saw Amanda's plan unfold in her mind's eye.

“We have fifty militia,” Amanda pointed out, “we split them into five squads one each on each road and one group in reserve.”

“You should always have a reserve,” Molly pointed out to Alyssa.

“The reserve should have our best fighters in it because they will be doing most of the killings.”

“The other squads?” Alyssa asked.

“Each squad should be under a slayer but we mustn't be frightened of leaving the militia alone and moving our slayers around to where they're needed the most.”

“I agree,” Molly nodded her head firmly, “we'll put the plan to the others tonight.”

“Agreed,” Amanda smiled, “in the mean time we better start to build our fortifications, we only have three weeks.”

“If that,” Molly nodded.

Little did Amanda know that she actually had a lot less than three weeks.

0=0=0=0


	10. Chapter 10

**Sunnidee**

It was early morning about a week after the slayers had arrived in the village that Buffy and Skyla decided to drill their squads together. The militia had improved dramatically since they'd started being instructed by the slayers. They could now be relied upon to stand up straight and not cower every time a slayer came near them. They'd also learnt to hold the spears upright, given a little time they might even be persuaded to actually fight. 

Each militia woman was armed with a twelve foot long spear, unfortunately as the village blacksmith had been killed when she'd tried to oppose the first Injun raid, there was no one to make spear heads. As a result the militia had to make do with fire hardened spear points. On the plus side, however, each woman also carried a 'Ma-chet' the almost universal working knife for this part of Fornia. The Ma-chet had a heavy, single edged blade about eighteen inches long; they were good for cutting down small trees, sharpening stakes or hacking Injuns to pieces.

This morning Buffy and Skyla intended to have their squads engage in mock combat with each other. The two squads would come into contact with their spears safely raised and then they would push against each other. The two slayers hoped that this would form some sort of team spirit within the squads and give the militia a little confidence so that when the Injuns finally came they wouldn't just run away and hide.

“Line up in yore squads,” Skyla ordered as Buffy walked around the two squads making sure that everyone was standing in the correct position, “Attention!” she ordered and the two squads stood up straight, “Good!” Skyla smiled as she walked over to inspect the squad's weapons, “I hope yuh all ate yore porridge this morning because we've got a lot of work to do today...”

“Just remember,” Buffy called as she inspected a woman's ma-chet, “whatever we're doing here will be totally more fun that building the fortifications...” she pointed to the blade of the ma-chet she was holding, “...rust! I want to see it cleaned, show me it again after the midday break.” Buffy walked on to inspect the next woman in line. “Now where did you get such a fine spear, Grace?”

Buffy took the spear from the trembling woman's hand and examined it closely. It was indeed a very fine spear. The shaft was smooth and straight and like the homemade spears about twelve feet long, but instead of a rough fire hardened point this one had a good sharp steel point about eight inches in length, just the thing for sticking in the belly of an Injun raider as she rode by.

“Answer her,” Skyla snapped as she came to examine the spear, “where did yuh get it?”

Several moments later Buffy and Skyla were standing in a storage hut; hidden under some old sacks and broken crates and boxes was a pile of weapons and armour.

“Where did yuh get these, huh?” Skyla demanded angrily of the twenty or so woman standing nervously outside the hut, “Taken from wounded slayers an' soldiers that yuh hunted down and beat to death with stones and clubs, huh!?”

None of the village women seemed inclined to confirm the big slayer's suspicions, they just backed away from the hut's door a little.

“Its no use getting angry with them,” Buffy pointed out as she examined some body armour, “they don't know any better and can we really blame them?”

“What?” Skyla started at her sister slayer in confusion, “Yore takin' their part excusin' what they did?”

“Not so much,” Buffy put down the breast and back plate she'd been looking at, “but I can understand why they did it.”

“Why then?”

“Well,” Buffy sighed heavily, “we march across their fields, we take food from their mouths, we molest them and their partners and hardly ever pay for the things we take...”

“But we're protecting them from The First and the savages,” Skyla protested, “Why shouldn't we take what we need?”

“Because its not right,” Buffy tried to explain but gave up and shrugged, “whatever, it won't change anything now...and look,” she gestured at the weapons cache, “we need this stuff, there must be enough armour to protect all the slayers and there's weapons we can use too...”

“What, use the weapons of murdered slayers to save their killers?”

“It's like totally better than getting an Injun lance through your gut,” Buffy pointed out.

0=0=0=0

While Buffy and Skyla were making their discovery, Alyssa was climbing the tree covered slope behind the village. Amanda had sent her to check on the lookouts that had been positioned on top of the old cliff to watch for the Injun's return. From the top of that ancient cliff you had a good view of the High Road, the Low Road, both to east and west, and of course the Sea Road. As long as the lookouts could stay awake the Injuns wouldn't be able to arrive at the village without being seen.

Coming to the top of the slope, Alyssa stopped behind a tree. To her right was the junction of the track that came up from the village and joined the High Road. The High Road itself ran from right to left in front of her. The entire area was heavily forested but not so heavily that there wasn't a carpet of summer flowers growing between the trees and bushes. For just a moment Alyssa forgot she was a slayer and remembered when she was a little girl, not really all that long ago, now she thought about it; she remembered running through the woods near home playing hide and go seek with her friends.

Pushing those idyllic memories of not so long ago summers to the back of her mind, Alyssa moved stealthily through the trees towards the road. One of the lookouts was supposed to be posted near here and Alyssa was supposed to be making sure that she wasn't 'goofing off'. All the lookouts were young, teen, village girls, too young for the militia and too old to work with the children. The lookout Alyssa was searching for was a fourteen year old girl named Piper, who Alyssa had ulterior motives about finding. The two young women had become more than 'friendly' over the last week and Alyssa was hoping to get some 'alone time' with Piper.

Hiding behind a tree at the side of the road, Alyssa watched the other side of the road carefully. At first she couldn't make out Piper's form in amongst the trees but she could hear her quite clearly, the girl was singing, quite loudly as it happened. A flash of anger made Alyssa's heart beat faster for just a moment, how could the girl be so foolish? An Injun could hear her from hundreds of paces away and have her scalp in a heart beat. Moving silently from tree to tree, Alyssa finally got to a position from where she could see the girl, she was sitting in a small clearing making something out of flowers and leaves.

 _“I lie in this cage, in full public gaze and I don't give a fig for all their scorn,_ ” sang the girl; just for a moment Alyssa paused to listen, the girl had a beautiful voice, sweet and clear, _“For I've crowned my lover Queen, oh what glorious things I've seen, give me the chance I'd do it all again. Give me the_...AAGH!”

Crying out in alarm, Piper found herself being grabbed from behind as strong arms wrapped themselves around her making it impossible for her to fight her way free or grab the knife from the sheath on her belt.

“Gotcha!” Alyssa smiled as she held the squirming girl beneath her.

“Aly!” Piper cried, half in relief that there wasn't an Injun about to take her hair, and half in pleasure at seeing her girlfriend again, “Let me up...now!”

“No,” Alyssa smiled as she easily held the struggling girl in place, “not until you paid the fine for goofing off while you were supposed to be watching for Injuns.”

“So,” Piper stopped struggling and gazed up longingly into Alyssa's eyes, “what fine is that?”

“This,” Alyssa lowered her head until her lips were touching Piper's, hesitating only for a heartbeat, Alyssa kissed the girl.

Within moments of their lips touching, Piper was kissing Alyssa right back. Letting go of the village girl's arms, Alyssa found her hands moving, as if of their own accord, to rest on Piper's breasts. Squirming about beneath Alyssa, Piper fought to loosen her lovers tunic so she could slip her hands inside and play with the hard nipples she could feel through the thin material.

Finally getting her hands inside Piper's shirt, Alyssa almost lost control of herself as she felt the girl's large, firm, breasts under her hand. Where Alyssa came from, girls tended to be tall and slim; the village girls here all seemed to be short and buxom. After several minutes of pulling at each other's clothes and caressing each other's breasts the two girls broke away from each other.

“We can strip off and rub our cunnies together if you want,” Piper gasped eagerly, “no one can see us here.”

“Oh Mother yes!” Alyssa breathed heavily.

Tugging at each others clothes the two young women soon lay naked in amongst the flowers.

“What do we do now?” Alyssa asked; although she was at least two years older than Piper she wasn't nearly as sexually experienced as the younger girl.

“Look,” Piper pushed herself up onto her elbows, “we have to fit together like this,” she demonstrated with the first and second fingers of each hand, “its the traditional way of doing it, I think its called 'the scissors' or something.”

“Weird...” Alyssa frowned she was fairly sure her mothers had never done anything like that, “...but lets try, huh?”

After a lot of giggling and with arms and legs getting in the way the two girls managed to fit themselves together. Later, after bringing each other to orgasm they lay back down in the flowers and stared up at the sky through the tree branches.

“I was your first wasn't I?” Piper asked.

“I'm ashamed to admit it, but yes,” Alyssa replied quietly.

“Don't be ashamed,” Piper rolled onto her side and smiled at Alyssa, “we all have to start somewhere and I expect you were too busy learning to be a slayer to bother with village girls much.”

“Yes,” Alyssa signed, “I suppose I was...did I do it right, y'know the rubbing and stuff?”

“You were more than 'right',” Piper giggled, “was it good for you?”

“Yes...” Alyssa lapsed into silence as her doubts about being a slayer rose to the surface of her mind once more, she'd thought that she'd suppressed them and had made up her mind to be a slayer, but this pretty village girl had made her doubt herself again.

It would be so easy just to stay in the village after the Injuns were beaten. Partner up with Piper, ride the beast and have children then grow old; she'd never have to face a demon or any of The First's minions. Perhaps she could help keep the village safe with Deputy Diaz and maybe with Piper's help the dreams would finally go away.

“I'd ride the beast for you if you stayed with me,” Piper said quietly, “I know my mothers say I shouldn't go with a slayer, they say you'll break my heart and leave me, but you wouldn't do that would you?”

Riding the beast could be dangerous, while the beast was actually inside a woman she was fairly safe, but if the beast broke free of its bonds it could kill the woman riding it. If a girl offered to 'ride the beast' for you it meant they really loved you.

“I would never willingly break your heart, Piper,” Alyssa replied softly, “but...”

“But?”

“But, I don't know what I want to do with my life,” Alyssa tried to explain, “I don't know if I've got a life to live. The Injuns could kill me, kill you, kill us all. What good are plans if we don't know if we'll be alive this time next month.”

“Oh...” Piper replied with a sniff, “...then you don't love me.”

“Of course I love you!” Alyssa rolled onto her side to face Piper, “that's why I don't want to hurt you.”

“You don't?” Piper wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, “You can if you want to, y'know, I don't mind.”

“Do what?”

“Hurt me...” Pipper grinned, “...you know like before we rub cunnies...”

“Huh?”

“Never mind,” Piper sighed, “I'll explain later...hey you wanna do it again?”

“What?” just at the moment Alyssa was feeling very confused and stupid.

“Rub cunnies again, silly!” Piper threw herself at Alyssa and was soon sitting astride her lover's stomach, “I'll show you the...”

Off in the distance a twig broke so quietly that merely human ears couldn't hear, Alyssa however was a slayer and she did hear.

“Shh!” she ordered Piper.

“What?” Piper frowned down at her lover's face and saw the worry in her eyes and started to be afraid.

“Quiet,” Alyssa whispered, “get off me and get your clothes on.”

“What's wrong, Aly?” Piper started to hop about as she tried to get her legs into her trousers.

“Injuns,” Alyssa whispered back, still naked she reached for her sword that she'd left resting against a nearby tree, “we better get back to the village and warn everyone.”

“Aren't you going to fight them?” Piper asked as she put her shirt back on.

“No way!” Alyssa started to search for her clothes, “Amanda told me to report back at the first sign of Injuns not fight them and anyway I heard a twig snap, it might have been a bear or a deer and not an Injun.”

“Oh...” Piper thought about this as she slipped on her sandals, “...I suppose that makes sense.”

“Look go back to the village and tell Amanda that I heard something and I'm going to take a look.” almost dressed now Alyssa drew her sword, as with so many thing Amanda had been right, a wooden scabbard made a lot less noise.

“No.”

“No?”

“No, I'm staying with you,” Piper told Alyssa firmly as she looked nervously into the woods, “if there's one Injun they might be more, they could carry me off to their camp and force me to ride their beast after making me rub them!”

“No, they won't do that,” Alyssa shook her head, “they're more likely to just kill you and take your hair.”

“And that's supposed to make me feel better?” Piper sniffed, “Fine girlfriend you turned out to be!”

“I'm your girlfriend?”

“Of course,” Piper replied as if Alyssa was asking a _really_ stupid question, “I don't offer to ride the beast for just anyone y'know, I'm not a slut.”

One part of Alyssa's mind wanted to take the girl and hug her and kiss her and yes rub her cunny against her own until they were both exhausted, but a more sensible part of her mind said that could get them both killed.

“Okay, you can come but you must be quiet and do as I say without argument, understand?”

“Oh you're so mistressful,” Piper sighed.

“Understand?”

“Yes I understand,” Piper shrugged, “you're as bad as my mothers.”

Holding her sword out in front of her with her right hand, Alyssa led Piper through the trees pulling her along with her left. They'd barely gone twenty paces when Alyssa froze in mid step, she turned to Piper and signalled her to be extra quiet, crouch down and stay still. Keeping low, Alyssa crept forward moving quietly from tree to tree until she found herself on the edge of a deep depression in the ground. The depression had probably once been the cellar of an ancient house, the overgrown ruins of old Sunnidee where around here somewhere. But she had no time for old overgrown ruins right now; tied to a sapling in the depression were three Injun horses.

Freezing in place so as not to spook the horses Alyssa strained her ears hoping to catch some sound made by the horse's owners; she wasn't to be disappointed. Over to her left she could hear the voices of the horse's riders as they moved between the trees. The Injuns were talking quietly, but Alyssa could hear them plain enough, she could even make out some of the words. The Injuns appeared to be discussing their mission and their mission was to keep an eye on the village and ensure there'd be no nasty surprises waiting for the warband when they returned.

For half a moment, Alyssa considered ambushing the Injuns, but almost as fast as the thought had entered her head she discarded it, too much could go wrong. What if one of the Injuns was a slayer or a demon in disguise? What if the Injuns got lucky and killed her? No, her duty lay in getting back to the village and warning the others, Amanda could work out what to do later. Backing away from the depression, Alyssa found Piper hiding in the grass where she'd left her. Taking the girl's hand she pulled her to her feet and put her lips up close to her ear.

“Injuns,” Alyssa whispered very softly, “we must move quickly and quietly back to the village, whatever happens one of us must get home, warn the others, right?”

Piper nodded, she was desperately trying to be brave but it was very hard for her, after all she was just a village girl not a slayer or soldier.

“If we're discovered, you run,” Alyssa told her, “I'll watch your back, understand?”

Again Piper nodded.

“Good,” Alyssa paused to kiss the girl's cheek, “now we go!”

0=0=0=0


	11. Chapter 11

**Sunnidee.**

“What do you think?” Amanda asked Molly as they stood in the doorway of the storage hut.

Only a few moments ago Buffy had arrived at the temple where Amanda, Molly and Tara had been discussing what to do with the non-combatants once the fighting had started. The short blonde slayer had looked grave and said there was something they should all come and see. Now Buffy stood outside the door so that the two senior slayers could examine the weapons cache.

“There's some good quality armour here,” Molly observed as she picked up a helmet and turned it over in her hands.

“But can we, in good conscious, use it to help defend the villagers who killed the slayers and soldiers who wore it?” Amanda asked.

“I think the question should be,” Molly sighed and put down the helmet, “can we afford not to? Look,” she turned to face her old friend, “we still don't really know how many Injuns we'll be facing we only have the word of terrified farmers for the size of this warband...”

“You mean we could be fighting fewer than sixty?” Amanda said with a hopeful smile.

“No, I mean we could be facing a hellmouth more of the painted savages,” Molly was only saying what Amanda had been thinking for some time, “wearing the armour even if it is stained with slayer blood will keep us alive and look,” Molly pointed to the far corner of the hut, “longbows those'll help even things up a little...”

“Amanda,” Buffy said quietly as she stuck her head around the door, “Alyssa's here we've got trouble.”

“What now?” Amanda turned and strode out into the open air, she saw Alyssa standing next to a frightened village girl, they both looked out of breath and red faced, “What have you two been up to Aly?”

“Injuns!” Alyssa pointed up towards the cliffs.

“Injuns?” Amanda gasped; she'd not expected them so soon, the militia were only half trained and the entanglements was nowhere near ready, “How many?”

“Three.”

“Three?”

“A scouting party I think,” Alyssa explained, “when we saw them,” Alyssa gestured to the girl by her side, “I think they were setting up camp.”

“Where?” Amanda demanded.

“Where the track joins the High Road, thirty paces west then about fifty paces into the woods,” Alyssa explained, “there's a depression big enough and deep enough to hide them and their horses.”

“I expect they've been sent to watch the village,” Molly said slowly, “they'll see everything.”

“It won't matter if they never get to report what they've seen,” Amanda mused before turning to Buffy, “pass on the news and then get everyone under cover, go!”

“Yes ma'am!” Buffy turned and sprinted off to carry out her orders.

“Well done Alyssa,” Amanda clapped the young slayer on the shoulder, “now once you've made sure your _friend_ is safe come back to me, I may have some more work for you.”

It took somewhat longer than expected to get everyone under cover but the slayers managed it even if they had to round up villagers as if they were sheep and herd them into the houses. Eventually, however, everyone was under cover and the village looked deserted.

“Why are we bothering?” Skyla grumbled as she pushed an old woman into a hut and shut the door behind her, “A blind woman could see the entanglement.”

“True,” Diaz replied as she readied her bow, “but they won't see us...at least they won't as long as we get under cover!”

“True,” Skyla nodded, “lets go.”

The two warriors ran over to a house on the north side of the village were the rest of the slayers were hiding. Bursting through the door they found all the other slayers, Tara and the farmer called Katie. They joined the other slayers who were all looking out of the windows watching for any sign of the Injuns.

“See anything?” Skyla asked as she fingered the hilt of her long sword.

“Not yet,” Buffy replied in a hushed voice.

“I expect they'll come down for a quick look-see some time soon,” Amanda explained.

“And when they do,” Skyla asked with a bloodthirsty grin on her face, “we kill them, right?”

“We'll see,” Amanda replied quietly.

“There!” Emma whispered as she pointed out the window.

“Where?” Amanda searched the trees up slope from the entanglement, “Ah, there,” she smiled as she caught her first glimpse of the Injun scouts, “lets see what they make of our little 'wall'.”

There, no more than thirty paces away from the house were the slayers hid and watched, three Injun scouts move quickly and quietly from tree to tree as the approached the entanglement. The Injuns were dressed in breach cloths, chaps, and leather waistcoats which only just covered their breasts. Their hair was done up into plaits on either side of their heads and feathers had been stuck into the ends of the plaits either as a sign of rank or as pure decoration. The Injuns carried tomahawks and sharp looking knives, they all carried an Injun short bow and a quiver full of arrows. The Injun warriors sneaked up to the low, half built, entanglement and looked at it with puzzled eyes. One of the party even climbed up to the top and peered into the village itself. In the house Diaz notched an arrow, drew her bow and aimed at the warrior.

“Only shoot if she enters the village,” Amanda ordered; Diaz nodded her head imperceptibly in understanding.

The Injun saved her life or at least put off her death, by not climbing over the entanglement but dropped back down to rejoin her friends.

“They can't make it out,” Molly observed quietly, “the village is in a state of defence but there's no one around to defend it.”

“I expect they'll want to let their chief know,” Amanda pointed out.

“Look!” Buffy cried in a loud whisper, “They're moving off to the right...”

“Quick, move!” Amanda ordered, “Keep them in sight we don't want them wandering off without us knowing.”

Piling out of the little house the slayers rushed to shadow the Injuns. Luckily even when slayers were tripping over themselves in confusion as they tried to follow the hostiles, they were still quieter than any Injun who was inspecting the village's defences. After a while the Injuns got fed up or had seen all they wanted to see, or perhaps the silence from the village was getting to them. For whatever the reason, after following the line of the entanglement they turned away from the village and headed up slope.

“What now?” Molly asked.

Standing watching the Injuns disappear into the woods, Amanda tried to think what would be the best course of action; it only took a few heartbeats for her to decide.

“We kill them!” Amanda announced, “Emma take one other slayer and kill the Injuns but I want a prisoner, understand?”

“Yes,” Emma nodded her head as she drew her sword from its scabbard, she turned to head out after the hostiles, “Buffy, with me.”

Watching the two slayers head out after the Injuns, Amanda smiled; Emma was probably the best slayer she had, but it seemed odd to her that the rather dower Emma should chose to take the bright and bubbly Buffy with her. But then she remembered that every time Emma went off with another slayer it was Buffy she chose to go with her, obviously the cheerful blonde woman worked well with the straight laced Emma. It was only as the two experienced slayers started heading up slope did Amanda notice Alyssa looking at her hopefully.

“Alright then,” Amanda told the girl, “go...but watch don't fight!”

“Thank-you,” cried the girl as she headed off after the two senior slayers.

0=0=0=0

“How do you want to work this?” Buffy asked as they came to the depression where the Injuns had set up camp: with the benefit of slayer speed and stamina the slayers had reached the Injun camp before the Injuns.

Looking around Emma formed a plan.

“Climb up into this tree,” Emma pointed to a tree in full view of the camp, “I'll stay down here, I'll kill two of them but you'll have the hardest job, taking the other one alive...”

“Gee thanks,” Buffy said as she jumped up onto the lowest branch of the tree, “leave the really hard stuff for the Buffster, huh?”

“Only because I know you can do it,” Emma’s face broke into a genuine smile.

“Whatever,” Buffy called back as she climbed a little higher and hid amongst the leaves.

Lying in the cover of a bush, Alyssa couldn't work out what was about to happen. Yes, Buffy had climbed up into a tree which she supposed was a good ambush position. But why was Emma sitting against the trunk of the tree apparently taking a mid morning nap? Her confused thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Injuns approaching from down slope talking rapidly in their own tongue, obviously discussing the strange sights they'd just seen.

At first it appeared that the Injuns hadn't noticed the figure sleeping in the shade of the tree. But when they did the Injuns became silent and alert, drawing their long knives and tomahawks from their belts as they moved to surround the sleeping woman. Still getting no reaction from the somnambulist at their approach the lead scout reached out with her foot to nudge the sleeping woman.

Suddenly the scene exploded into action almost too fast for Alyssa to follow. As soon as the Injun's foot touched Emma, she opened her eyes, drew her sword and swung it at the lead savage. The tip of the blade caught the Injun across the stomach leaving a long, deep cut across her belly. The Injun groaned as she dropped her weapons and clutched at her middle as her guts spilled out all over the ground. Before her first victim had even fallen to the ground, Emma was on her feet and attacking the second Injun. This warrior was either faster or luckier than her comrade. Parrying Emma's first attack with her knife the woman struck out at Emma's head with her tomahawk. But the strike never landed, Emma had moved and she thrust her sword right through the Injun's body. With a surprised grunt the second Injun started her journey to the 'Happy Hunting Grounds'. While all this was going on Buffy had jumped out of the tree and had landed on the third little Injun and knocked her out.

“Wow!” Buffy called out as she climbed off the unconscious Injun and got back to her feet, “That was easier than I thought it was going to be...” she cast a glance over at Emma's victims, “...and messier...” Buffy gestured at the woman who lay groaning at her feet, “did anyone bring something to tie her up with?”

“Here,” Emma quickly pulled a long leather lace from one of the dead woman's chaps and tossed it to Buffy, “use this,” turning towards Alyssa she called her forward.

“Careful,” Buffy called as she tied up her prisoner, “don't get blood on your clothes its a pain to wash out.”

“Yes,” agreed Emma with a slight smile, “you don't want to spend all your free time washing your clothes when that village girl seems so eager to spend time with you...”

Alyssa blushed red as Emma teased her.

“While you're not getting blood on your clothes, collect up the weapons and put them and anything else that might be useful on the horses, its almost time to go.”

“Up you get,” Buffy pulled the bound and gagged Injun to her feet, “places to go, y'know?”

0=0=0=0

_I am just an ageing slayer  
And in the wars I used to fight,  
And I've called the tune   
At many a torture session.  
Now they say I am a war criminal,  
And I'm fading away,  
Oh Mother please hear my confession._

Normally during the midday break the non-combatants would come in from the fields and join the fighters at their midday meal. But not today, today the villagers stood in one large angry crowd surrounding the raised area in the centre of the plaza. Up on the podium the slayers, Tara and deputy Diaz stood facing outwards keeping the villagers back with a mixture of dire threats and the occasional swat with a stick. The reason for all this excitement was the young Injun scout that had been tied with her back to the whipping post. Walking over to the Injun, Amanda saw that she was little more than a girl, probably on her first raid. Amanda had never enjoyed torturing prisoners but she needed information.

“Do you understand me?” Amanda asked in her native Fornian, the Injun girl nodded as the tears ran down her face from terrified eyes.

“Good,” Amanda nodded, “because my Injun is crap, you talk Fornian too?”

“Yes,” sobbed the girl.

“Better still,” Amanda sighed as she pulled her knife from her sash, “see this?”

The girl sobbed louder as she saw the knife held in Amanda's hand and nodded her head.

“Good,” Amanda smiled coldly, “see how well we understand each other?” She took a deep breath, “Look I'm not going to mess around and all I can offer you is a quick death, but I need information...”

The girl started to beg for her life but Amanda shut her up with a slap across her face.

“Don't let yourself down by begging,” Amanda told her, “it won't do you any good...now as I say I need you to answer some simple questions. If you don't answer them quickly and truthfully I'll tell you what I'll do.” She paused for a moment, “If I think you're lying or you don't talk I'm going to fuck you with this knife and then I'm going to cut your boobs off. Then once you've bled to death I'm going to bury you at the crossroads so your soul won't know which way to go to the Happy Hunting Grounds, understand?”

“I do! I do! Please don't,” cried the girl, “I'll talk...”

The girl did talk, in fact it was difficult to get her to stop. With a sinking heart Amanda discovered that there were closer to a hundred warriors than the sixty they'd been told about. On the plus side however there were only four or five demons and not particularly powerful ones. The bad news was there was a camp in the ruins of ancient Sunnidee containing a dozen or so warriors and a number of captive women plus one of the tribe's beasts. The really bad news was that the main warband was expected to attack the village in a week or ten days time.

“Fuck!” Amanda cursed as she turned away from the prisoner.

“That screws things up and good,” Molly observed.

“Yes, it looks like we've a lot less time than we thought we had...” Amanda gave a heavy, resigned sigh, “...we'll just have to work harder and faster.”

“What are you going to do with the prisoner?” Tara asked, “You're not really going to kill her, are you?”

“What else can I do?” Amanda asked, “If I let her go she'll just go back to her people and tell them what's going on. If I keep her prisoner I'd have to put one of us to guarding her because if I don't this lot,” she gestured to the angry villagers, “will rip her apart the first chance they get...”

“Yes,” Tara nodded sadly, “I suppose you're right...” she glanced at the villagers there faces contorted in anger and hate, “...its amazing how 'brave' people can be once their enemies are bound and helpless...;”

“I know,” Amanda agreed sadly.

“Send her away quickly,” Tara said quietly.

“I will,” Amanda walked over to the girl and cut her bonds, the girl stood staring in fear at the slayer as she rubbed her wrists. “Girl,” Amanda said slowly, “you've told me everything I wanted to know, if I could I'd let you go, but I can't so I'll give you an honourable death...” Amanda turned to Emma, “...give her back her weapons.”

Stepping forward Emma passed the girl her knife and tomahawk; the girl took hold of her weapons and watched Amanda in confusion.

“I am Amanda the Slayer,” Amanda announced in a loud voice, “I have fought in many wars and slayed many demons and servants of the First.” Speaking more quietly she looked the girl in the eye, “I want you to attack me and try to kill me; your gods will see how brave you really are and forgive your treason to your tribe, you'll go to the Happy Hunting Grounds in peace.”

With a loud war yell the Injun girl leapt at Amanda her tomahawk raised to dash out the older woman's brains and her knife held low to gut the slayer. However, Amanda was too fast for the Injun. Stepping forward with her blade out thrust, Amanda rammed her sabre through the girls chest cutting her heart in two. After watching her fall, Amanda placed her foot on the girls recumbent body, and pulled her sword free before wiping her blade clean of blood, she turned to face the priestess.

“I told her it would be clean,” on days like this Amanda wished she was a simple fisherwoman again, “do you know Injun burial rites?”

“Yes,” Tara nodded.

“Then bury her,” Amanda said as she inwardly cursed The Mother for making her a slayer; turning to her sisters she started to give orders, “there's at least a dozen Injuns in a camp somewhere in old Sunnidee,” she explained, “they're going to get suspicious when their friends don't come home tonight.”

“A raid?” Molly asked eagerly.

“Yes,” Amanda agreed, “Take Skyla, Diaz and that farmer Katie as a guide...Diaz?”

“Yeah?” 

“Can that pack mule of yours be ridden?”

“Some times,” Diaz laughed.

“Good, give it to Katie and ride one of the horses, that way you'll all be able to ride,” Amanda turned back to Molly, “when you find them you've got to kill them, we can't risk news of our presence here getting back to the main warband, understood?”

“I understand,” Molly nodded her head eagerly, “we'll slaughter them!”

0=0=0=0


	12. Chapter 12

**Sunnidee.**

'We'll slaughter them', Molly had said, but first they had to find them. After collecting their weapons and some supplies, the raiding party had ridden their captured horses and Diaz's reluctant mule up the track behind the village and were now standing at the junction with the High Road.

“Which way to old Sunnidee?” Molly asked.

“Some say we're already in it,” Katie replied.

“The town was that big?” Diaz looked around as she tried to imagine what the ancient city must have looked like.

“Some say so,” Katie nodded as she scanned the surrounding woods with frightened eyes, “You must understand that not many villagers come searching for the old ruins, they believe they're haunted.”

“Now we have ghosts to fight,” Skyla muttered as she fingered the hilt of her great sword.

“Any idea of where the Injuns might have their camp?” Molly wanted to know.

“There are a few likely spots further on,” Katie gestured to the north and east, “when I was a girl I sometimes came up here to explore, even when my mothers told me not to.”

“You did?” Molly turned to look at the farmer in surprise, “That was brave of you...disobeying your mothers like that.”

“I was young,” Katie admitted with a shrug, before pointing to the east, “if we follow the road this way there's a track leading off to the north and into the centre of the old town. If the Injuns are camped anywhere near they'll be there...I think.”

Nodding her agreement, Molly turned her horse to follow the road and started off a brisk trot.

0=0=0=0

Back down in the village, Amanda and the rest of the slayers sat on the floor of Katie's family room, there were things they needed to discuss.

“Tara,” Amanda turned her head to look at the priestess, “we need the villagers to start their harvest as soon as possible.”

“The potatoes can be pulled starting tomorrow and some of the corn can be picked too,” Tara explained having spoken to some of the older farmers about the harvest, “the barley still needs five days or a week to ripen.”

“It can't be helped,” Amanda shrugged, “harvest what can be harvested and pray the Injuns either come late or if they come early they don't burn the crops...” she turned to face Buffy and Emma, “...what of the fortifications.”

“The east and west gates are totally up and ready,” Buffy explained, “the entanglements run to the river and are anchored to houses on the north side of the village.” Buffy paused to glance at Emma who nodded her head indicating that Buffy should continue, “If they come from east or west the entanglements and gates should hold. The river side needs more work...the weir isn't finished and the barricade on the home bank isn't quite high enough to give cover from arrows.”

“The weir and the barricades need to be finished,” Amanda pointed out, “the Injuns are horse warriors and they'll be attracted to the open fields as an easy line of attack, they'll try that first.”

“Yeah,” Buffy agreed “and eventually they'll get 'round to the north side, the defences there have hardly been touched.”

“This might not be a problem,” Amanda pointed out, “as I want them to attack there.”

“So its a trap?” Buffy asked.

“Of sorts,” Amanda explained, “I want you to barricade the gaps between the houses so they can't break through, but leave the area by the road clear like a door opened invitingly to a thief.”

“You're the boss,” Buffy knew that they couldn't be strong everywhere but leaving a route into the village purposefully unprotected just didn't feel right.

“The militia?” Amanda next looked at Emma.

“Give me five or six days and they'll stand,” Emma replied.

“I hope we've got five or six days,” Amanda said before turning to speak to Tara again, “You'll have to manage our workers, I don't want to take the militia off training and building the fortifications.”

“I'll work something out, no problemo,” Tara replied.

“I'll check out that armour we found and make sure its in good condition,” Amanda continued, “I assume everyone here can use a bow,” all the slayers nodded their heads, “good, the bows should give us an edge...”

“Until you run out of arrows,” Tara muttered.

“Not enough arrows are better than no arrows at all,” Emma pointed out.

“True,” the priestess agreed.

“Well,” Amanda sighed heavily, “that's got that sorted out, now we only need to work like slaves and hope Molly can wipe out the Injun camp.”

0=0=0=0

Riding at the rear of the group Skyla looked to left and right of the track, they were supposed to be in 'down town' Sunnidee by now. To her it didn't look very much different from any other area of open woodland she'd seen. True here and there she'd spotted some tumbled building stones or a pile of bricks peeping out from under a bush. But there wasn't any sign of the great towers that the ancients had built like those she'd seen in The City of Angels. Skyla had often wondered why the people of old had built the tall towers, she'd never come up with a satisfactory answer however.

After glancing over her shoulder to check that nothing or no one was following them, Skyla looked to her front again to see the dust rising from the horses hooves ahead of her. It was then an idea popped into her head, they could ride around these so-called ruins for weeks and never find the Injun camp...unless they gave themselves away.

“Molly!” Skyla called as she urged her horse forward.

“What!” Molly called back as her hand went to the hilt of her sword and she pulled her horse to a halt.

“The Injuns...”

“Where!?”

“Exactly!”

“Huh?” Molly frowned, “Talk sense woman.”

“Look,” Skyla started to explain, “we could ride round here forever and not find the Injuns...”

“I suppose...” Molly agreed reluctantly.

“But...where there's a camp there must be a camp fire,” Skyla explained.

“Smoke!” Diaz laughed, “Of course if we can find somewhere with a little elevation we should be able to see any smoke if they're close by.”

“Good idea!” Molly cried, to be honest she'd been losing hope of ever finding the Injuns, she turned to face Katie, “Is there a hill or something where we can watch for smoke?”

“No hills,” Katie replied after a moment's thought, “but there's a place near the centre of the town, it must have been a really big building once because its ruins still rise above the rest of the town.”

“Take us there,” Molly ordered, if they couldn't find a hill a ruin would do.

0=0=0=0

The sun was slipping towards the horizon and the sky was turning to shades of red, yellow and orange by the time they found the ruin. While the ruin, really just a jumble of stones with small trees and bushes growing out of it wasn't as huge as Katie had led them to believe, it was still higher than any surrounding ruins or trees. Leaving Katie to look after the horses, the three warriors climbed the hill until they stood on a flat area at the summit of the pile of rubble. They scanned for any sign of smoke or fire, at first they saw nothing and were about to give up when Diaz called out suddenly and pointed to the west.

“HA!” she laughed, “So much for slayer eyesight!”

Following Diaz's pointing finger Molly and Skyla saw a thin column of smoke rising into the sky back lit by the setting sun.

“Well done, Deputy!” Molly clapped Diaz on the shoulder and almost knocked her to the ground, “That looks about...” Molly paused as she estimated the distance to the smoke, “...what...three hundred paces?”

“I'd say so,” Skyla agreed.

“Okay,” Molly smirked as she imagined what they'd soon be doing to the savages, “this is what we'll do...”

0=0=0=0

By the time they came on the Injun camp it was fully dark and the savages had built a big fire that lit up the area as bright as day. However, once out of the ring of light cast by the fire it was pitch black, the Injuns had effectively blinded themselves. There were about a dozen warriors and four captive women, one of whom was heavily pregnant.

“What do we do with the captives?” Diaz asked quietly as they watched the Injuns eating and drinking around their fire.

“We'll take them back to the village,” Molly replied before she paused and pointed off to the right, “look they brought a beast! Why would they do that?”

Sure enough to the right of the camp sat a dirty, hairy, beast eating a lump of half cooked meat as it sat cross legged on the ground. It had a metal collar around its neck and a heavy chain connecting it to a stake driven deep into the earth.

“I bet they're expecting to take more captives,” Skyla pointed out, “they'll want to get them pregnant as soon as possible after capture.”

Unlike in the civilized Fornian lands the Injuns didn't restrain their beasts when they set them to breeding with their captives. They let their beasts free to do what it liked with the captive women they gave it, many captives died. This was why a lot of women would rather die than be taken by the Injuns. Of all the children born, either from captives or true Injuns about three in four would become warriors, the remainder would run the Injun villages and guard the captives as they worked in the fields to feed the warriors and produce children to swell the ranks of the tribe. Most slayers and soldiers agreed that if something wasn't done about the Injuns soon they'd sweep down onto the coastal settlements and burn them to the ground after carrying off the inhabitants.

“Right,” Molly turned to Diaz, “it's your job to kill the beast.”

“My pleasure,” Diaz smiled in the dark.

“We'll wait until they fall asleep before we strike,” Molly explained, “then we'll move in and slit their throats before heading back to the horses and home...I've no wish to sleep amongst these ruins.”

“Agreed,” chorused the rest of the party.

0=0=0=0

It seemed to take forever for the Injuns to stop eating, drinking and abusing the captive women. They even had their beast 'mount' one of the captives and laughed uproariously as the woman screamed and struggled to escape the beast's embrace. It was all Molly could do to stop Diaz from shooting the beast there and then, but she managed to prevent the deputy giving away their presence. Eventually the Injuns got tired of their 'fun' and went off to sleep. The slayers had expected the Injuns to sleep around the fire but instead they'd walked off into the darkness.

“Where are they going?” Skyla asked urgently.

“There!” Emma pointed into the dark.

“Not all of us can see in the dark,” Diaz pointed out, “what are we looking for.”

“They've gone into a shelter like a house,” Emma explained; up in their woodland homes the Injuns lived in villages made of wooden houses with thatched roofs, it seemed they'd built something like that here. “They must have been here for a long time to build that.”

Molly now wondered how long the Injuns had been watching the village and if they'd already sent word of the slayer's presence to the warband. Moving stealthily forward the slayer party moved around the camp site; the Injuns must have felt very secure because they hadn't posted any guards only the snorting of their horses warned that death was coming and the Injuns were too drunk to hear.

“Look,” Diaz tapped Molly on her shoulder and pointed, “a thatched roof, give me a little time and I'll make fire arrows and set light to the house...”

“Then we kill them as they run out!” Skyla laughed.

“Good,” Molly nodded, she turned to Katie, “you go help.”

Watching as the two 'mundanes' ran towards the remains of the fire, Emma drew her sabre.

“Once the roof is afire we'll take up position either side of the door, right?”

“Understood,” Skyla replied as she pulled her great sword from its scabbard.

Only a couple of moments later a soft call came from near the fire.

“Ready?” Diaz called.

“Ready!” Molly replied as she and Skyla climbed slowly to their feet ready to rush forward.

No sooner had the word left Molly's mouth than the first fire arrow arced through the sky like a shooting star to land in amongst the untidy thatch of the Injun's house. The dry straw started to smoke as the flames took hold. Another arrow joined the first followed moments later by two more in quick succession. The thatch was now burning fiercely as the flames ate up the straw hungrily, another arrow shot out of the darkness as Molly and Skyla ran on silent feet towards the unguarded doorway.

0=0=0=0

“Our work here is done,” Diaz smiled as she notched another arrow in the light of the burning building, standing up she heard the first of the Injuns die at the door. “Follow me...”

Running off to the right Diaz and Katie soon found the beast straining at its chain and making urgent grunting sounds as it tried to free itself. Lifting her bow, Diaz drew back the string and loosed off two arrows in rapid succession. The first arrow hit the beast in its chest and knocked it onto its back. The second arrow caught it in the throat sending a great plume of black blood into the night air as it cut through the big vein in the beast's neck. The creature lay on its back and clawed at the arrow in its throat for a moment before it finally died.

“Go,” Diaz pushed Katie towards the dead beast, “cut off its balls and cock and take it back to the village to show your friends!”

Drawing her ma-chet, Katie grinned, her teeth white in the darkness and her eyes shining in the light of the burning house. After watching Katie run towards the beast, Diaz turned towards the sound of killing and steel on steel.

“Sounds like they're having fun over there,” running towards the house she took another arrow from her quiver and notched it to her bowstring.

0=0=0=0

Swinging her great sword, Skyla felt it bite into the Injun's neck and saw it take the woman's head clean off. So far the Injuns had come out of the burning house one at a time and there were now four bodies lying on the ground. Soon the Injuns would realise what was going on and come out in a rush all together. Just as she was thinking this another Injun appeared in the doorway, again Skyla swung her sword only to have it parried by the warrior.

“DAMN!” Skyla cursed as she quickly recovered from her swing; unfortunately she wasn't fast enough.

Screaming a blood curdling warcry the Injun sprang at Skyla slashing at her with a captured sabre. The warrior's blade cut through Skyla's jacket leaving a thin cut across her ribs that oozed blood.

“MOLLY!” Skyla cried out as she desperately back peddled away from the warrior, “SLAYER!”

The Injun was moving too fast to be a mundane warrior, hadn't Amanda warned them that the Injuns had their own slayers? Yes, she had and it was just Skyla's bad luck to be fighting one. Jumping backwards, she launched her sword at the Injun slayer's head. The warrior jerked back out of the way, letting the sword fly by her ear. This manoeuvre gave Skyla time to draw her own sabre and come at the warrior striking at her with the shorter weapon. Blades flashed in the firelight and sparks flew as the weapons clashed together. As they slashed and cut at each other neither slayer noticed the shadow coming up behind them. Just as Skyla was about to launch an attack intended to beat down the Injun's blade so she could thrust her own weapon into the warrior's stomach, Skyla was surprised to see a long thin blade appear from out of the warrior's chest. Grunting in surprise the warrior fell to her knees as the blade was withdrawn only to be stabbed again.

“I thought you could do with some help,” Diaz called as she pulled her rapier from the dead slayer's back.

“Thanks,” Skyla called back; having an opponent stabbed in the back might be thought a little dishonourable but she wasn't going to complain; Skyla hadn't been sure she could have beaten the Injun, she'd been that good. 

Skyla bent down to slit the Injun's throat, a slayer could recover from the wounds Diaz had given her but not from a cut throat. Their work done the two warriors headed back towards the burning building.

0=0=0=0

After the Injun slayer had burst from the house, Molly found herself facing half a dozen warriors all intent on hacking her to pieces. What didn't help her was the three or four captive women who'd been pushed out of the door in front of the warriors and were now running around screaming and getting in the way. Pushing through the crowd of terrified women, Molly came on an Injun and ran her through. Dragging her blade from the warrior's stomach, Molly was just in time to turn and face two Injuns as they came at her, one armed with a lance the other with knife and tomahawk. Swinging her sword Molly cut the point off the lance before turning and slashing at the knife armed Injun who deftly jumped back out of range. Turning like a cat, Molly took the head off the Injun with the truncated spear before lunging at the knife woman again and thrusting her sabre right through her.

Surrounded now by three bodies Molly was just about to go after the three surviving Injuns when Skyla and Diaz turned up on the scene. Diaz deflected a blow aimed at her head with her buckler before plunging he long, rapier's blade into the Injun's heart. As this was happening Skyla stepped into the fray and dispatched the last two Injuns with economical cuts and thrusts of her sabre.

“I think we got them all,” Skyla called as she stood over her latest victims wiping the blood from her blade.

“They sure look 'got' to me,” Molly agreed just as she heard the gun shot a heartbeat before the all too familiar 'wet meat' sound of a lead ball hitting flesh.

0=0=0=0


	13. Chapter 13

**Sunnidee.**

Somehow, Buffy knew this was the spot, she didn't know how she knew because it looked no different to any other spot close by; she tried to tell herself that she recognised a tree here or a bush there, but somehow, she knew. This was the place where 1630 Revello Drive had once stood, this had been her home. Sitting on her borrowed horse, Buffy bowed her head and sobbed quietly into her hand as she remembered her mother, Dawn and all her friends...all long gone now. Why couldn't she be with them, why was she still here?

Well, that question was easy to answer, she was alive because some sorceress had raised her from her grave (wherever that might have been) to do her biding. Why this servant of The First had raised The First's most intractable foe and brought her back from the dead, Buffy didn't know; she'd not exactly given the sorceress much time to explain. As soon as Buffy had realised what had happened she'd rammed a handy ceremonial dagger into the woman's heart and left. That had all been just over a year ago and it had taken her that long to come home.

“Are you alright, slayer Buffy?” Nicole called, she was sitting aback one of the captured Injun horses and had been sent to act as Buffy's aide.

“I'm fine,” Buffy called back, “I'm just remembering...”

“Remembering?” the girl called back but Buffy didn't answer.

Yes, remembering, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand Buffy gazed at the place where her home had once stood. It was nothing more than a depression in the ground surrounded by bushes now, but she knew if she dug down a little she'd find some broken glass or maybe if she was really lucky she might find a recognisable keep-sake that had survived the ravages of so many hundreds of years. The thought gave Buffy pause; things must have got really bad after she'd failed to stop The First for it to have taken nearly seven hundred years for people to have clawed their way back to the level they'd achieved today. Pushing these thoughts to one side, Buffy turned her horse to face Nicole. Sitting here making herself feel sad and guilty wasn't going to help. It was time to get on with her mission.

Three days ago they had buried Skyla; she'd been shot by an Injun with a gun. The mere thought that Injuns had access to firearms was shocking, but to have one of their number shoot down like that at the moment of victory was almost too much to bear. Of course Molly and Diaz had tried to track down the sniper but in the dark the Injun had made good her escape. That morning Amanda had asked Buffy to go check the Injun camp to make sure no one had returned to use it again. When she and Nicole had ridden to the place that the Injuns had made their camp they'd found nothing but some burnt timbers and the smell of smoke in the air.

Having guessed that Sunnidee was really Sunnydale, Buffy had ridden on into the ruins letting her horse pick its way along the flat areas between the ruins where the grass grew shortest, she guessed that if she dug down a little she'd find an old road or something. Eventually she got to the place that she'd called home for so many years, but now her quest was done; she'd gain nothing by staying here, those times, like her family and friends were long gone it was time to move on.

“Come on, Nicole,” Buffy called to the girl who was sitting nervously on the Injun horse, “it's time to go.”

“Thank-you,” the girl sounded relieved as she turned her horse to follow Buffy's. “these old ruins are full of ghosts, I didn't want to stay here the night...not even in the company of a slayer.”

“Ghosts you say?” Buffy shrugged her shoulders, “You wouldn't believe it...”

It didn't take them long to ride out of the area of ruins and towards the Low Road where it headed off in the direction of Oxnade. The two women rode along the High Road; looking to the south, Buffy could just about see the Pacific Ocean about five or six miles away. In her time the ocean came right up to Sunnydale, there'd even been docks and a beach. But now the ocean had receded, probably due to the ground rising or tilting or something; this might also explain why California (what the locals called 'Fornia') was cooler and wetter than it had been in her day.

“You love Katie don't you?” Buffy asked Nicole simply to break the silence that had descended over the two riders since they'd left old Sunnidee.

“Yes...” Nicole replied, “...is it that obvious?”

“Uh-huh,” Buffy nodded, “anyone with eyes can see the way you look at her, so, why don't you partner up?”

This strange world of women had been a shock to Buffy when she'd first arrived, but she'd soon grown used to it; she'd had to as there was simply no alternative. What few men that there were-were little more than animals and not exactly boyfriend material. Buffy had discovered by talking to the local priestess (now that had been a shock to her, to find that her friends and family were worshipped as saints) that out of every one hundred babies born only one or two were male. They didn't live long, twenty-five or thirty years, but in that time each male fathered hundreds, maybe even thousands, of children as women paid their D’lar to 'ride the beast'.

“Katie is still sad from losing her partner,” Nicole's voice cut into Buffy's consciousness having let her mind wonder.

“How did that happen?” Buffy knew all about grief; she'd felt like killing herself once she'd worked out what the sorceress had done and where and when she was, but she hadn't, once again she'd chosen life.

“The Injuns took her,” Nicole informed Buffy quietly, “they let one of their beasts ride her and it killed her...we found her body after the Injuns left, Katie has wanted revenge ever since.”

“Well,” Buffy sighed, “perhaps once we've beaten this bunch of Injuns off she'll get over it and see how much you love her.”

How things had changed, Buffy almost laughed out loud, here she was, Buffy Summers giving lesbian relationship counselling. Of course lesbianism was the only way to go unless you wanted to live a long, lonely life of sexual abstinence. The thought gave Buffy pause; apart from her one little experience with Tara the priestess she _had_ been living a lonely life of sexual abstinence, perhaps once this fight was done with she might do a little experimentation of her own.

“Okay,” Buffy pulled her horse to a halt; after a painful beginning Buffy had discovered that she was a good horsewoman, in fact she’d not fallen of her horse in a several months, “I think we've gone far enough.”

They halted on the High Road where it turned away from the cliff and headed inland. Below them they could just make out the Low Road as it worked its way through the widely spaced trees. It was just as Buffy was about to turn her horse's head towards home that she saw movement down on the road. Stopping to watch, Buffy saw the head of the Injun band moving along the road at a slow walk, at the speed they were going they'd reach Sunnidee in an hour maybe more if they were lucky.

“Injuns!” Buffy pointed; seeing the mounted warriors Nicole gave a strangled cry of fear, “Look,” Buffy turned towards Sunnidee and put her horse to a fast trot, Nicole kept up but only with difficulty, “If we ride hard we'll get back in plenty of time to warn everyone,” she explained, “I'll ride for the village to raise the alarm. You ride along the cliff top and collect all the lookouts then ride for home, okay?”

Nicole gave a firm nod.

“If for some reason you can't get back to the village,” Buffy continued, “hide in the woods and keep well away from the Injuns, understand?”

Again Nicole nodded.

“Now RIDE!” Buffy slapped Nicole's horse on its rump, hard and sent it galloping off along the road with the young farmer clinging desperately to its back. After one last look at the Injuns below, Buffy put her heels to her horse's side and followed Nicole down the road.

0=0=0=0

“THE INJUNS ARE COMING! THE INJUNS ARE COMING!” Buffy cried as she galloped through the village before skidding to a halt in the village square.

“Where!?” cried Amanda as she ran towards Buffy, “How much time?”

“There about half an hour behind me on the Low Road coming from the direction of Oxnade,” Buffy called as she jumped from her horse's back.

“Half an hour!?” Amanda paused for a moment as villagers ran in confusion and panic as all their nightmares rode towards them, “It'll have to be enough time,” Amanda turned to speak to Alyssa who acted as her aide and personal courier, “Find the slayers and get them to calm everyone down, get the fighters into their units and the non-combatants into the temple...”

“I can do that,” Tara called as she ran over to see what all the fuse was about.

“Good,” Amanda cheered, “now get moving we haven't got much time!” Amanda turned back to Buffy, “How many?”

“I saw maybe thirty...” Buffy replied.

“Only thirty?” a look of hope crossed the old slayer's face.

“I saw thirty-ish,” Buffy pointed out, “there could be more coming behind them I didn't exactly hang around to count, y'know?”

“No, you did right,” Amanda clapped Buffy on her shoulder, “if you'd waited we wouldn't have time to organise.”

As Amanda spoke the other slayers and Diaz ran up to where Buffy and Amanda stood.

“Good you're here,” Amanda cried.

“We were lucky,” Molly pointed out, “we were at drill when the alarm sounded.”

“We've posted the fighters at their posts,” Emma pointed out.

“Good, well done,” Amanda paused as she thought quickly about what to do, “Emma, Buffy you take post on the Cliff Track its our weakest point and I want two slayers watching it. Diaz,” she turned to the ex-Deputy, “you take charge of the river line. Molly,” she smiled at her old friend, “you're in charge of the reserve here in the plaza...Alyssa, put on your running shoes and stay at my side ready to take my orders. Now everyone get to your posts and don't forget to put on your armour there's little time...GO!”

0=0=0=0

“I think its safe to guess,” Amanda now dressed in breast and back plate, thigh guards and arm guards, spoke softly and calmly to her friend Molly, “that seeing that the Injuns are coming from Oxnade the first place they'll test will be the East Gate.”

“I'd agree with that,” Molly armoured in much the same way as her friend nodded and moved her longbow to the 'ready' position.

“Good,” take the reserve to the East Gate, we must try and look stronger than we are, but be ready to move from there at my order.”

“I obey!” Molly nodded her head to Amanda before leading her fighters at a fast trot towards the East Gate. “Alyssa!” Amanda called as she turned to the girl, “Go to the River Line and check that Diaz is taking down the bridge and remind her they might have guns...GO!”

Amanda stood and watched as the young slayer sprinted off towards the river. Now she was alone, she'd done what she could she could, now she could only wait and see if it was enough.

0=0=0=0

“Amanda says to take down the bridge!” Alyssa cried as she slid to a halt, “And remember they might have guns.”

“What do you think we're doing?” Diaz was helping the villagers dismantle the bridge and use the timbers to form a barricade across the road, “Instead of passing on pointless orders why don't you use some of that slayer strength and lend a hand!?”

Hesitating for a moment, Alyssa looked back along the way she'd just come, Amanda could manage on her own for a little while, she told herself.

“Of course!” Without further hesitation she moved to help take down the bridge.

0=0=0=0

“Steady,” Molly told her nervous villagers as they hid behind the barricade waiting for the Injuns to arrive, “when they come stay down, don't show yourselves until they've climbed over the entanglement...archer?”

They'd captured enough bows to give each squad of militia one or two bows but they only had a limited supply of arrows.

“Only shoot at things you can hit, don't waste your shafts...” a distant noise caught Molly's attention, “...okay, they're coming everyone get down!”

Crouching down behind the barricade, Molly listened to the sound of approaching hooves. The noise was like distant thunder and it made her feel nervous. The First's minions didn't use cavalry and she'd only fought Injuns who liked to fight on foot so she was unused to fighting horse soldiers. But she couldn't show any fear or uncertainty, if she did the militia would turn into a mob and run. If she could get them over the next few moments they'd hold together until the battle was over.

Peeping over the barricade, Molly saw the lead riders come around the corner out of the trees and towards the village. For a moment or two it looked as if the Injuns hadn't noticed that the road was blocked. When they did the column came to an untidy halt about fifty yards short of the gate. The Injuns milled about in confusion until a warrior with a lot of feathers in her hair rode forward and shouted some orders. At her call a dozen or so warriors rode towards the barricade.

“Steady,” Molly called softly, “steady, everyone stay out of sight until I give the word...”

At first the Injuns just rode up to the entanglement and poked at it with their lances or cut at it with their tomahawks. The leader called from the main body obviously ordering the scouts to dismount and climb over the barrier and find out what was going on. Reluctantly half a dozen warriors climbed down from their horses and started to climb over the entanglements. Once again Molly peered over the barricade, this time she smiled.

“Steady,” Molly cautioned, “in a moment they'll have fallen into our trap,” it was always good to make your side think that the enemy was doing something foolish, “when I give the word I want everyone to scream like devils and charge!”

Placing her bow and quiver of arrows somewhere safe, Molly quietly drew her sabre and made ready to charge. If the militia didn't follow her she'd probably end up dead in the next few heartbeats time, if they did follow...well, she'd wait and see what would happen. By now the Injuns were starting to climb down into the village, Molly could sense their fear and confusion, nothing like this had ever happened before, villagers simply didn't do this sort of thing and where were the villagers anyway? As the first Injun climbed down off the entanglement and took a step towards the barricade, Molly stood up and pointed her sabre at the intruders.

“CHARGE!” she yelled and then taking her own advice she screamed like a demon and rushed at the startled Injuns.

With a cry of fear mixed with a little bloodlust, the villagers stood up levelled their spears and charged at the intruders. Relieved at hearing the farmers charge after her, Molly took a swing at the first Injun and took her head off with her first cut. Blood fountained into the air to patter onto the ground like thick, red, rain as the Injun's head spun through the air to land on the roadway with a heavy thud. Shocked by the villager's sudden appearance the Injuns wasted precious seconds staring at the suddenly belligerent farmers.

However when they did realise what was happening they gave a 'war whoop' and charged at their attackers. The villagers came on, they outnumbered the Injuns by more than three to one and they had a slayer with them. What was almost as important was that the villager's spears were much longer than any of the Injun's weapons and they had to get through a forest of jabbing spear points before they could even hit any of the farmers who wielded them. First one Injun went down then another. As the downed warriors lay on the ground the villagers jabbed at them unmercifully with their spears as they tried to crawl away.

Cornered against the entanglement several warriors were hacked to death as villagers threw away their spears and closed to short range and used their ma-chets. Picking up a discarded spear, Molly stabbed at an Injun who was trying to climb over the entanglement and back to safety. Catching the Injun in the small of the back, Molly heard the woman scream as she slumped against the barrier and got tangled up in the branches and ropes. It hardly seemed like more than a few heartbeats but in that time six warriors lay dead on the ground or tangled up in the barrier. Looking around Molly saw than none of her people had received anything more than superficial wounds.

“Well done!” Molly cried, “Well done, all of you...”

A gunshot rang out accompanied by a few arrows, no one was hit, but Molly ordered a retreat back to the barricade.

“See!” Molly cried once everyone was back in cover, “They can be beaten,” she told the stunned villagers, “now you must hold them by yourselves...my squad come with me!”

What Molly had seen was the remaining warriors riding off to their left and her right. It looked like they were heading towards the River Line and her fighters would be needed again.

0=0=0=0


	14. Chapter 14

**Sunnidee.**

Leading her tribeswomen away from the barricade, Cindy Swift-Arrow tried to work out what had gone wrong, she'd somehow lost six warriors. When first she'd seen the barricade she'd simply thought that it was some feeble attempt by the farmers to keep her and her braves out of the village. This idea was reinforced by her not being able to see any of the inhabitants. Sending half a dozen warriors to climb the barricade and root out the villagers she'd been shocked into inaction at seeing the villagers rise up out of cover to attack her tribes-sisters.

Unable to do much to help her cut off warriors, Cindy had watched as the villagers had speared them even as they tried to climb over the barricade back to safety. Cindy promised herself that when the rest of the warband arrived and they took this village she'd roast those responsible for the deaths of her sisters over a slow fire. However, that was a pleasure which would have to be put off until she found a way into the village. Remembering that the south side of the village was bordered by a river with a bridge across it she lead her scouting party onwards. Surely the villagers wouldn't have destroyed the bridge. If they hadn't she'd be able to lead her warriors over the bridge and start the looting and killing. Just in case the bridge was gone or blocked she sent six warriors to check out the spot where the road entered the village from the west.

0=0=0=0

Hearing the sound of galloping horses getting nearer, Diaz looked over the top of the barricade to see more than twenty horsewomen appear from the trees to her left. They were riding along the line of the river until their leader signalled a halt and split her force. Six riders continued on their way but avoided coming too close to the river bank. Another ten or so galloped off and set fire to the mill and the two houses that were outside the defensive perimeter.

“Alyssa,” Diaz turned to speak to the younger slayer; she'd stayed on the river line after helping dismantle the bridge, “run to Amanda and tell her that six riders look like they're heading for the West Gate while another twenty or so are likely to try crossing the river once they've had their fun burning down the mill, understand?”

“Got it,” Alyssa nodded her head firmly before running off to find Amanda.

Looking to left and right, Diaz saw the frightened expressions on the faces of her fighters; she knew that once they'd got over their first experience of combat they'd stand firm (assuming they were still alive that is), but until then they were as likely to run as fight. Of the defences, Diaz was more confident; the weir had been completed the previous evening and the water in the river in front of the village was now four or five feet deep. There were sharpened stakes set into the home bank and more hidden under the water. Anyone who tried to ride their horse into the water was in for an unpleasant surprise.

The barricade, which was set back a little from the river bank incorporated a couple of houses and was high enough to give the defenders plenty of cover from Injun arrows that would surely be coming their way. To enable the villagers to hit back with their own arrows, Diaz had had some loopholes made so a shooter wouldn't have to expose herself when the time came to loose off arrows.

The sound of horses moving made Diaz look off to her left again, the Injuns had finished setting fire to the isolated building and were now approaching at a fast trot. Seeing what had to be the Injun leader halt her horse to study the river and the defences, Diaz took an arrow from her quiver and notched it on her bowstring.

“Steady everyone,” she called quietly to her militia women, “they're still on the other side of the river, when they try to cross we'll give them a really warm welcome!”

0=0=0=0

Sitting on the back of her horse, Cindy Swift-Arrow fingered her weapons while she looked at the defences before her; she'd never seen anything like it. This wasn't the way things were supposed to work; they were supposed to just ride into the village and take what they wanted. They weren't supposed to sit here unable to cross the river, which was somehow higher than she remembered it, because the stupid peasants had taken down the bridge.

“Leila Laughing-Beaver,” Cindy called to one of her scouts, “dismount and check the depth of the water.”

0=0=0=0

“Ah-ha!” Diaz smiled as she watched an Injun dismount and start to test the depth of the water with her lance.

The Injun moved along the opposite bank dipping her lance into the water until she hit bottom. Seemingly satisfied that she knew the depth of the water close to the bank she stepped into the river. The water came up to her breasts as she made her way across towards the village side of the river. Standing behind the barricade, Diaz watched through a loophole as the Injun got about half way across the river. 

With a cry of alarm the Injun disappeared below the surface only to reappear a heartbeat later coughing and spluttering. Spitting water from her mouth she turned to look back at her chief. The chief said something and the scout started to make her way back towards the far bank. Just as she was beginning to climb up the bank, Diaz drew her arrow back to her ear, aimed and loosed off her shaft. The yard long arrow flew straight and true hitting the scout between her shoulder blades. The woman cried out before falling backwards into the water with a splash. Quickly taking another arrow, Diaz sent it flying towards the chief, but she must have notice the blur of motion and ducked. The arrow sailed over her head to land in the fields beyond.

0=0=0=0

Arriving in the plaza, Alyssa ran over to Amanda and gave her report about what was happening on the river line just as Molly and her fighters turned up.

“Six dead!” Molly cried triumphantly as she and her women jogged into the square.

“Any casualties on our side?” Amanda wanted to know.

“A few cuts and scraps but nothing serious,” Molly reassured her.

“Good,” Amanda looked from Molly back to Alyssa before giving her orders, “Alyssa, take two of Molly's fighters and go and stiffen the defenders at the West Gate...”

“Yes, Amanda!” Alyssa cried eagerly.

“Remember we're defending so stay in cover and don't attack unless they come over the entanglement, understand?”

“Yes,” Alyssa replied a little less enthusiastically, she'd had visions of destroying the Injun force at the West Gate single handedly.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Amanda laughed, “GO!”

Followed by two women from Molly's force, Alyssa headed off towards the West Gate at a run.

“Now for you, my old friend,” Amanda grinned as she turned to look at Molly, “lets go down to the river and see if we can give these savages a bloody nose!”

0=0=0=0

Loosing off another arrow through her loophole, Diaz could hear the Injun arrows 'thunking' into the barricade even over the war whoops of the warriors as they galloped up and down the opposite river bank. So far she'd hit two more warriors knocking them from their horses to roll in the dust. One hadn't got up again but the other had crawled away only wounded. Deciding to save her arrows for when the Injuns decided to try and force a crossing, she looked at the nervous faces of her troops.

“Don't look so down,” Diaz called trying to raise everyone's spirits, “we must be winning because they're still on the other side of the river...oh, and here comes Amanda and Molly with reinforcements.

The news that the two slayers and their fighters had arrived received a better reception than Diaz's news that the Injuns were still on the opposite side of the river. However, the Injun chief soon decided she'd had enough shooting arrows at defenders she couldn't see. Leading her warriors away from the river she halted about fifty yards away, turned her force around and charged.

0=0=0=0

Running up to the West Gate barricade, Alyssa saw the defenders cowering behind their cover as the six Injuns trotted up to the entanglement. After a cursory examination of the barrier they rode over to where the wagon full of stones stood across the road. The gaps between the wheels had been filled with boulders and logs so they couldn't crawl underneath it and gain access to the village that way. However, there was nothing to stop the Injuns climbing from their horses onto the top of the wagon and jumping down into the village.

“Quick,” Alyssa turned to the two women with her, “go tell the others how you won at the East Gate, tell them to be brave.”

Drawing her sabre, Alyssa strode towards the wagon. One slayer against six Injuns were good odds, if the slayer was experienced and the Injuns were novices. Never mind, she told herself, she had to show the militia that the Injuns were just human and could be defeated. By the time she was five yards short of the wagon two Injuns had already climbed from their horses and were preparing to jump down on the village side. Seeing the lone warrior they cried out their victory yells, jumped down from the wagon and came at Alyssa weapons out and ready.

Although Alyssa's mothers had paid for their daughter's sword lessons and Alyssa had been an excellent student, she'd never actually had to fight for real and she'd certainly never killed anyone. Unlike the two warriors who were the veterans of years of raid and counter raid. Even when they realised that the girl facing them must be a slayer they felt confident enough that they'd be able to kill her. Giving a bloodthirsty yell they sprang at the lone slayer.

Beating off the initial attack, Alyssa gave ground slowly as she looked for an opening so she could counter-attack. All thoughts of offensive action were put on hold as Alyssa noticed three more Injuns climb over the wagon and start towards her. Realising that if she didn't do something different soon she'd be dead, Alyssa gave a yell and lunged towards the closest Injun. Much to her own and the Injun's surprise the first six inches of her blade sank into the stomach of the lead warrior.

Put slightly onto the back foot by the slayer's sudden attack the Injuns were further discomforted by the sound of a cheer from behind them. Distracted they turned from the danger to their front and lost another of their number to a second, sudden attack by Alyssa. The Injun fell just as the gate's defenders crashed into the little knot of warriors. Spear points jabbed at the warriors as they frantically tried to fend off the militia's spears and Alyssa's blade. 

Very soon the Injuns forgot about all thoughts of looting the village and tried to make their escape back over the wagon. A warrior fell to the spears of the militia and was hacked to death by their ma-chets. Only two survivors made it to safety but not without receiving several wounds from fire hardened spear points. Realising she was still alive and whole, Alyssa raised her sabre above her head and cheered, within moments the militia were cheering too; now the West Gate was safe.

0=0=0=0

The lead Injun's horse splashed into the river sending water high in a great glittering arc. No sooner had the horse jumped down into the river than it come to a sudden halt. The animal screamed as blood spurted from its mouth and nostrils and the river turned red; it had impaled itself on one of the underwater stakes. With her horse stopping so unexpectedly the rider had little chance to keep her seat, catapulted over the horse's head she disappeared under the water where she was trampled into the river bed by the horses of her comrades behind her.

Several other horses were either killed or injured by underwater obstacles or the stakes driven into the home bank. However enough of the attackers reached the village side of the river and started to climb out on to the river bank. It was then that Amanda ordered the charge; lead by the two slayers and the militia fresh from their victory at the East Gate, the defenders climbed over the barricade and set about the struggling Injuns who were still mounted on their horses.

It would have been better for the Injuns to have attacked on foot, but as Amanda had said, they were too proud to get off their horses. As it turned out the Injuns were hampered by their horse's inability to climb out of the river. This meant that they had no height advantage when the militia lined the river bank and started to stab down at them, they were also outnumbered.

Leading from the front, Amanda and Molly cut down a couple of riders who'd somehow made it to the village side of the river. While the melee was in progress, Diaz stood on top of the barricade shooting into the struggling mass with her bow, knocking riders from the horses to be trampled under horses hoofs or drowned in the bloody water.

After only a few moments, the Injuns turned and fled, some on foot and some still on horse back. Holding back their victorious militia women, Amanda and Molly prevented them from charging off after the Injuns. Even when defeated Injuns could still be dangerous, the mounted warriors could turn suddenly to punish any incautious pursuers.

“STAND FIRM!” Amanda yelled as she and Molly pushed the eager militia into a rough line on the river bank, “Stand firm they're still dangerous and they'll chop you up into dog meat if you run off after them!”

Slowly the militia got a grip of themselves and formed up into ranks before being marched back behind the defences.

“Anyone hurt?” Diaz asked as the women retook their positions; there were a few minor wounds and one woman had been stuck with a lace in the belly. “Take the seriously injured to the temple then come back here double quick.”

“We did well,” Molly said to Amanda as they looked over the fields to where the Injuns were reorganising and trying to recapture their loose horses.

“Everyone did well,” Amanda agreed loud enough for the militia to hear, “How many did we kill?”

“Six at the East Gate,” Molly counted.

“Three at the West Gate!” Alyssa called as she ran up to rejoin the group.

“And at least six here,” Amanda nodded, “so we've killed fifteen out of a possible hundred...”

“That only leaves eighty-six to go!” Diaz called as she retrieved arrows from the ground, the bodies of fallen warriors and their horses.

“True,” Amanda agreed, “but it's too early to start the victory celebrations.”

“And they haven't attacked the north yet,” Molly observed.

“Do you think they will?” Alyssa asked.

“Well, personally I wouldn't,” Amanda said, “not after losing half of my force, but I'm not an Injun...” she paused for a moment before adding, “...Alyssa go to the north wall and tell Buffy and Emma what's happened and warn them to expect at least a probing attack...Moll, you reorganise your people and take up position in the square.”

“I obey!” Molly snapped to attention before turning to reorganise her squad.

“Asshole!” Amanda muttered good naturedly at her old friend before she turned to address the militia, “You all did well today, but the fighting's not over yet, they'll be back,” she pointed to where the Injuns were reforming, “there's still hard fighting to come.”

0=0=0=0

Staring up slope into the trees, Buffy fiddled with her longbow before counting her arrows once again.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Emma asked her face straight and emotionless, “No matter how often you count them it won't make the count one more but it might make it one less.”

“Yeah, I know,” Buffy agreed with a sigh, “but I'm not used to all this hanging about I wanna get out there and fight!”

“You are one of the best slayers I've seen in a long, long time, Buffy,” Emma pointed out, “but you'll never be a 'great' slayer until you learn to control your impetuous streak.”

“Impetuous? Me?” Buffy turned to her sister slayer only to see her grinning at her, “You're fooling right?”

“Of course,” Emma nodded, “I've seen too many over eager slayers die because they couldn't control their battle lust, but for you, it seems to work.”

“Gee thanks...what was that?”

“Only Alyssa with a message no doubt,” Emma said as the girl trotted up to them, “What news?”

“We've killed at least fifteen of them...” Alyssa announced so everyone could hear.

“Wow,” Buffy sighed again, “that only means there's eighty-six left to kill...”

“That's what Diaz said,” Alyssa replied.

“Colour me pessimistic,” Buffy shrugged resignedly.

“What else did she say?” Emma wanted to know.

“Amanda said to expect a probing attack here before night fall.”

“You staying?” Buffy asked the girl.

“If I can?”

“More the merrier,” Buffy replied.

“Hmmm, before night fall,” Emma looked up to see the sun shining through the trees, “that gives them an hour, two at most.”

“Oh goodie!” Buffy exclaimed with false jollity, “time to count my arrows a few more times...what joy!”

0=0=0=0


	15. Chapter 15

**Sunnidee.**

Standing behind a large tree, Helga Stamping-Elephant looked down the wooded slope at the village; she really couldn't believe her eyes the track down to the houses seemed to be completely undefended. Why was it, she asked herself, that the villagers who had fortified all the other approaches to the village had left this one route open? Helga remembered what her mother had often told her; if something looked too good to be true it probably was. This must be a trap.

“We must attack!” Sally Walking-Wolf hissed from beside her, “We must attack and punish these farmer scum for daring to stand against us!”

“Attack?” Helga turned to face the young woman who was sharing her cover, “Attack!? We rode here more than thirty strong and now there are sixteen of us left and you say we should attack?”

“The road to the village is wide open, we could...AH!” Sally Walking-Wolf cried out as Helga slapped her face...hard.

“Are you a natural fool, Sally Walking-Wolf,” Helga demanded, “or do you have to practice?”

“Are you a coward?” Sally countered as she rubbed her face where Helga had slapped her.

“If we hadn't lost so many already,” Helga snarled as she pushed Sally up against a tree trunk and presented her knife at the other woman's throat, “I'd slit your throat from ear to ear!” Breathing heavily, as she regained control of her temper, Helga pushed the other woman away from her and put her knife back into its sheath. “We will attack, but we won't gallop down the track into their trap like a bunch of young and foolish braves on their first raid.”

“Trap?” Sally wiped the pin prick of blood from her throat and scowled at Helga, “What trap?”

“That trap,” Helga gestured down slope, “the trap that is so obvious that even a child could see it.”

“I see no trap,” Sally muttered under her breath; she really couldn't understand Helga's reluctance to attack the farmers.

“It's there just the same,” Helga replied as she went back to watching the village; it did look so tempting, there were no barricades that she could see and there appeared to be no one guarding the houses.

“Perhaps they think we won't come this way,” Sally suggested.

This was probably the most sensible thing that Sally had said all day, Helga told herself. The approach down slope through the trees wasn't a natural avenue of advance for horse warriors.

“You have a point,” Helga agreed, it was time to 'make nice' with Sally, she didn't want to have to watch for an arrow in the back as well as fighting the farmers, “We will attack but I'm not leading a charge down that track it would be too easy to trap us between the trees and houses...”

“But they're only farmers,” Sally replied eager for revenge, “when we capture them we should take our pleasure from them before we give them all to the beast even the old and the children!”

“First catch your bear,” Helga replied referring to the famous old Injun saying, “did you not notice they have slayers?”

“Yes,” Sally nodded, “but only one or two they couldn't afford to hire more, not on what we leave them.”

“Truth,” Helga agreed with a curt nod of her head, “but we still need to be cautious the tribe cannot take these loses without any reward.”

“But we must attack or rejoin the warband in shame,” Sally pointed out.

“I have said we will attack,” Helga repeated, “but not just yet.”

“When?” 

“We'll wait until it starts to get dark,” Helga replied with a smile, “when they start to feel hungry and want to go home to their wives...when they think we've gone...come we'll make plans.”

Running silently between the trees Helga and Sally made their way back up the slope to the top of the cliff where the surviving warriors waited. Choosing the youngest, lightest brave on the swiftest horse, Helga sent her to find Chief Britney Long-Spear and tell her every thing that had happened. Next she set her four bow women to making fire arrows.

“This is my plan,” Helga began to explain as the warriors sat in the grass around her helping to make fire arrows, “When the sky is still light and the ground is dark, we'll make our way down slope. Our archers will shoot fire arrows into the houses this will course the farmers to panic, leave their positions and try to save their stinking hovels. Once they come out into the open we'll rush them and slaughter all who try to resist us, the rest we save for when Britney arrives with the rest of the band. Turth,” Helga turned slightly to look at the seven foot tall, red skinned demon who accompanied the band, “there may be a slayer perhaps two, will you kill them for us?”

“Slayers?” Turth laughed slowly as he fingered his five foot long battleaxe, “I spit on slayers then I fuck them to death!”

“There's really no need,” Helga pointed out, “but what you do on your own time is your concern, all I need to know is, can you deal with any slayers that may appear?”

“Of course,” Turth sneered, “I'll snap their puny bones and suck out their marrow, I'll...”

“I thought you said you were going to fuck them to death?” Sally quipped.

“This is after I've fucked them to death,” Turth pointed out as he scratched his scaly skin with a taloned hand.

“Oh...” Sally nodded her understanding, “...I see...”

“Whatever,” Helga glanced up at the sky and then down towards the village, “it's nearly time, are those arrows ready?”

0=0=0=0

Back down in the village, Amanda was also looking at the sky, the sun was near the western horizon, while the sky was still a bright blue seeing between the trees was starting to become difficult.

“Moll,” Amanda called to her friend, “take your people to the temple and get them fed, but be quick about it.”

“Sure,” Molly nodded her head, “I take it you'll want my women to relieve the others?”

“That's right,” Amanda cast another glance towards the woods on the other side of the fields, they were like a black wall now, “They're still out there I can feel them.”

“Your rheumatism playing up again?” Molly joked.

“Something like that,” Amanda agreed, “now move it slayer!”

“I'm moving!” Molly laughed as she collected up her militia women and started to head towards the temple, “I'm moving!”

0=0=0=0

Feeling uncomfortable and just a little itchy in her armour, Buffy shifted slightly as she lay behind the house's wall. Yes, she understood why she needed to wear the armour; slayers were hard to kill, armour made them harder still and it stopped you picking up too many scars. Okay, the scars faded, but it was better not to have scars to fade in the first place; even slayers liked to look pretty. Lifting her head she looked out of the window and up slope, there was no sign of any Injuns but... There was something else out there, something that felt like a demon.

“You feel it too,” Emma said from beside her; Buffy gave a little involuntary gasp, she'd not heard the other slayer move even with her armour on.

“Are you totally trying to give me a heart attack,” Buffy whispered, “and yes, the old spider sense is trying to tell me something.”

“Spider sense?” Emma frowned at the reference.

“Yeah like...” Buffy thought twice about trying to explain, “...doesn't matter,” she shrugged, “so what do you think's out there?”

“At least one demon, maybe two,” Emma eased her sabre from its scabbard to make sure it would come free easily before sliding it back into place, “do you think they'll attack tonight?”

“I thought everyone said Injuns didn't like to attack at night,” Buffy replied.

“True,” Emma agreed, “they don't _like_ to, but that doesn't mean they won't.”

“Sneaky huh?” Buffy was about to add something when a faint sound like stone striking metal came to her ears, “What's that?”

“What?” Emma lifted her head to look out the window, “There!” she pointed, “A light!”

“A light!?” Buffy joined Emma in looking at the soft glow that escaped from behind a tree about thirty paces up slope from the house.

“Warn Alyssa,” Emma told Buffy; Alyssa was with the other half of the militia in the house across the track from where Buffy and Emma hid, “This could be an attack!”

As if on cue a fire arrow rose into the air, flew between the trees and thudded into the roof above Emma and Buffy's heads.

“Screw this,” Buffy muttered; filling her lungs to shout a warning, she was beaten to it by Emma.

“TO ARMS, TO ARMS!” Emma yelled, “STAND TO!”

Jamming her helmet on her head, Buffy rushed out into the dusk to see what was going on as more arrows shot through the sky like firework rockets each leaving a smoky trail in their wake. The arrows thudded into the houses. The flames started to lick at the dry wood, in a few more moments the fire would catch hold. Militia women tumbled out of the houses their eyes wide with fear.

“You!” Buffy called to the panicking militia, “Put those fires out before they take hold...SLAYERS TO ME!”

“What...?” Alyssa was first to reach Buffy's side; although she had her sabre in her hand and her armour on, her helmet was on back to front and was in danger of falling over her eyes.

Grabbing the helmet from Alyssa's head, Buffy turned it around and jammed it back on the younger girl's head. Turning to face up slope Buffy saw that Emma had also joined them sabre in hand.

“This is a cover for an attack,” Buffy pointed up slope with her own sword, “any minute now...”

There was a great, loud, demonic roar as Turth the demon appeared from behind a tree raising his giant axe in both his hands as he started to charge at the slayers.

“DEMON!” Buffy shouted as she ran to meet the monster.

Having not gone more than a couple of paces, Buffy slid to a halt as she noticed the Injun warriors appearing out of the darkening wood for the first time.

“Crap!” Buffy cried as she parried a spear thrust directed at her stomach; the spear point was no sooner safely out of the way when she felt something crash into her back plate and knock her off her feet.

Suddenly finding herself lying on her back, Buffy looked up to see a very tall demon with a huge axe standing over her. Rolling to her right, Buffy missed being split in two by the demon's axe by a hare's breadth (which is about four inches). Continuing her roll, she was just in time to see Alyssa come at the demon with her sabre raised. The demon knocked the girl to one side with contemptuous ease, however Alyssa's attack gave time for Buffy to climb back to her feet. Standing in the middle of what seemed like tens of Injun warriors, Buffy took stock of how the battle was going.

It was going badly; Emma was beset by half a dozen Injun warriors, she was keeping them at bay but they were slowly backing her up against the wall of a burning house. Alyssa was down apparently unconscious and there were more Injuns pressing the militia who were trying to put out fires while at the same time fighting off the Injuns. It looked like it was up to her to save the day...again. Turning to face the demon, who was muscling his way through the struggle in an attempt to get at Emma, Buffy felt an arrow strike her breast plate at a shallow angle and bounce off.

“Thank the Saints for armour,” Buffy cried ignoring the fact that she and all her dead friends _were_ the ‘saints’.

Flattening an Injun with a back handed blow of her armoured arm, Buffy rammed her sabre into the back of another Injun as she tried to spear Alyssa as she lay on the ground.

“HEY DEMON!” Buffy yelled causing the monster to turn and face her, “Lets you an' me settle this, slayer to demon?”

“AAAAAGH!” roared the demon as he turned with frightening speed to face Buffy.

The monster raised his axe in both hands above his head and charged at Buffy roaring his warcry as he came. Judging her moment carefully, Buffy dodged out of the way of the demon's charge. Cutting horizontally at the monster's stomach with her sabre, she was pleased to see her blade cut into the demon's flesh like a knife cutting through a soft boiled egg. Pulling her sword back towards herself, Buffy saw her blade sink deeper into the demon's flesh until it finally came free. The demon took one or two more stumbling steps before it finally came to a halt. It dropped its axe as his hands went to his stomach as he tried to hold in his internal organs.

Slowly the monster dropped to his knees before falling, face down onto the track as dead as a very dead thing! The Injuns cried out in dismay to see their demon so easily killed. Their dismay was increased as Molly led the reserve up the track in a tight group that crashed into the stunned warriors catching several of them on their spear points. The fight quickly dissolved into a general melee as the militia jabbed at the Injuns and the Injuns tried to knock the spear points down so they could get to close quarters. Add to this the arrows that sleeted in out of the dark and the flames from the burning houses, this was as near to hell as Buffy had seen in a very long time.

Cutting at the fleeting shapes of Injuns as they screamed and danced around her, Buffy made her way over to where Alyssa lay and stood astride the girl and prepared to defend her against all comers. Looking around at the sound of a scream, Buffy was just in time to catch the body of an Injun who stumbled into her an arrow sticking out of her chest. Looking to where the arrow had come from, she saw Molly standing on a wall shooting arrows into the night. On the other side of the track, Emma had killed or beaten off her attackers and was now pushing the surviving Injuns back up the track and into the woods.

With the slayers on the offensive and the militia making headway against the few survivors facing them, the Injuns broke and started to run off into the night. Molly brought down two more Injuns with rapidly shot arrows. But more Injun arrows flashed out of the dark to strike two of the militia in the chest. Abruptly Buffy found that the battle was over and she was standing alone over Alyssa's unconscious body.

“Get the wounded to the temple,” Molly cried out as she quickly reorganised the defenders, “North Squad put out these fires, Reserve Squad take post ten paces up the track the Injuns might attack again.”

0=0=0=0

Running up hill as fast as her legs could carry her, Sally Walking-Wolf gasped for breath as she tried to work out what had gone wrong. Helga's plan had seemed to be working, the hovels of the farmers were burning and they were panicking. Turth had killed one slayer and another had gone down mortally injured but had got up again to kill the demon. Then more farmers had arrived and attacked from behind their spears. No, Helga's plan had been a good one, Sally was woman enough to see that now, but she'd made a mistake. If they'd attack on their horses they could have moved faster and the weight and strength of their horses would have gone a long way to negating the power of the slayers.

Having reached the place where they'd left the horses, Sally vaulted into her saddle and waited. Only five more warriors came out of the dark to join her. Cursing softly under her breath, Sally led the survivors towards where Britney Long-Spear and the rest of the warband waited. As she rode she wondered what she'd tell her chief; on the plus side they'd killed one slayer and injured another and they must have killed at least a dozen farmers. On the negative side there were only six unwounded warriors out of the more than thirty that had arrived at the village only half a day ago. Britney Long-Spear was not going to be pleased, but there were still sixty or seventy warriors and slayers left. When the rest of the warband arrived they would destroy the village and string all those who'd dared to fight them up by their thumbs and watch them roast over slow fires!

0=0=0=0

“What's the butcher's bill?” Amanda asked as she watched Molly lead her squad back into the plaza.

“Two militia women dead and five wounded,” Molly replied, “Tara doesn't think one of them will survive the night, but the other four should be able to fight tomorrow or the day after.”

“Good, not as bad as I'd feared,” Amanda nodded.

“One house was burnt down and another damaged,” Molly continued with her report.

“I was afraid they'd use fire eventually,” Amanda shrugged, it couldn't be helped, perhaps she'd better organised some of the older children into fire fighting parties, “We better pray for rain. What about the Injuns?”

Dead, mostly,” Molly shrugged, “I think a few got away.”

“And they warn the others what to expect,” Amanda mused, “it can't be helped.”

“Two other things...”

“What?”

“Buffy killed a demon and Alyssa got knocked unconscious...”

“Unconscious?” Amanda had to stop herself from seeking out the young slayer.

“Tara said she'll be alright,” Molly explained, “she's got that village girl who seems so fond of our girl looking after her.”

“And Buffy?”

“A few bruises and some dents in her armour, she'll be fine.”

“Good,” Amanda nodded, “we'll want everyone on the barricades tomorrow when the rest of the warband arrives.”

0=0=0=0


	16. Chapter 16

**Sunnidee.**

Stepping outside Katie's house the following morning, Amanda took a deep breath to clear away the last cobwebs of sleep from her brain. Smelling wood smoke and damp ash she thanked the Mother that it had rained last night and put out the fires started by the Injuns during their attack on the Cliff Track. It had rained pretty heavily and had not only helped put out the fires but had probably prevented any more Injun attacks...no one liked fighting in the rain. It also meant that everywhere was now damp and it would be harder to set on fire.

After a short walk Amanda found herself in the village square, standing on the raised platform in the middle of the plaza, she paused to look around. Gazing out over the fields to the south she could see smoke raising from the woods on the far side of the fields. It looked very much like the rest of the Injun warband had arrived. No doubt they'd be having an early breakfast before heading out to kill the farmers who'd dared to stand against them and destroy the village once and for all. Smiling, Amanda told herself that she would have to see what she could do about that.

The thought of breakfast made her tummy rumble and reminded her to have some breakfast before the day's excitement started. As if her thoughts of breakfast were some sort of magic spell, Amanda turned at the sound of foot steps crossing the square to see Tara approach baring a steaming bowl of porridge in her hand. As the priestess got closer, Amanda could see how tired she looked, obviously she'd not had a good night.

“Here,” she said handing Amanda the bowl, “I saw you here and thought you might want this.”

“Thank-you,” Amanda took the bowl gratefully and started to spoon the hot oatmeal into her mouth, “you look tired,” she said between mouthfuls, she could already feel the warmth spreading from her stomach and making her feel 'alive' again, “bad night?”

“Kelly Allisdotter died last night,” Tara said with a sad sign, “the militia woman hit by an arrow on the cliff track yesterday...” she explained, “...by the time she was brought to me she'd lost too much blood, there was nothing I could do to save her.”

“I'm sure you did you best,” Amanda commiserated as she scrapped her bowl clean, “hows Alyssa?”

“Oh, she's fine,” Tara forced a smile, “that Piper girl sat up with her all night...not that Alyssa needed anyone to sit with her she'd just had a bad bump on the head is'all, nothing serious.”

“Will she be able to fight today?” Amanda wanted to know; she couldn't afford to have even her least experienced slayer out of action today.

“Yes she'll be able to fight,” Tara sounded a little bitter as she took back Amanda's empty bowl, “will they attack again.”

“Yes,” Amanda replied simply as she looked out over the fields once again, “the Injun chief will have to...” she saw the puzzled frown on Tara's face and knew she'd have to explain, “...each time we've met the Injuns we've beaten them. Their chief knows this so she'll need a victory.”

“So they'll attack?”

“Yes,” Amanda nodded, “as soon as she's settled on a plan she'll come and this time it won't be probing attacks it'll be a full on assault.”

“So, if we hold out for today they'll leave?” Tara asked hopefully.

“Maybe,” Amanda shrugged, “it depends how many of them we kill and how many of us they kill.”

“So its all down to the body count,” Tara replied sadly.

“Looks like,” Amanda agreed, “look hopefully it'll be over today...”

“One way or the other,” Tara muttered quietly.

“One way or the other,” Amanda agreed with a nod, “In the mean time make sure everyone has breakfast and then ask the others to join me here, okay?”

“Okay,” Tara replied before turning away and heading back to her temple.

0=0=0=0

Staring out across the empty fields towards the village Chief Britney Long-Spear heard her stomach complain about the food that hadn't been put in it lately. The warband was low on food, they'd managed to find some potatoes and almost ripe corn for a poor meal the night before. But there was nothing to eat this morning, she'd been expecting to take supplies from the village before heading back to their homes on the other side mountains. But the farmers appeared to have found some back bone and fought back, worse they had won!

So far the warband had lost nearly thirty braves killed or wounded and if what Sally Walking-Wolf said was true there were at least two slayers in the village. Yes, she still had over sixty braves left, yes she had four guns, yes she had three demon allies with her, but... The villagers still had at least two slayers on their side. Demons were good when they were fighting normal people, but against slayers and from all reports these slayers were particularly vicious ones, victory was never certain.

To be honest, Britney didn't want to attack the village, given a choice she'd much rather ride off home now and come back next year, but she couldn't do that. If she left this village standing after it had defied her what message did that send to the other villages in the area. Next year when she came raiding south again she'd find all the villages defended by stockades and spear wielding farmers. Also if she didn't attack and win, Britney felt sure that if she went home having been defeated or worse having not attacked, by next year she'd have had a beast ride her and her belly would be full of brats. After that she'd never get to lead another warband. No today she'd have to attack and win.

Turning away from the village, Britney walked back into the woods and towards the camp, everyone was cold and damp from the rain last night, add this to the hunger that gnawed at the warrior's bellies, Britney knew she shouldn't be giving the orders she was about to give, but there was no real way of not doing what she knew she shouldn't. Calling her sub-chiefs over to her she squatted down in a small clearing in the centre of the camp.

“Today we attack!” Britney announced as she drew a rough map of the village in the sandy soil with an arrow, there were grunts of approval from her chiefs. “Today we will show these filthy farmers what happens to people if they stand against the Two-Peaks-Tribe. Today we will take what is rightfully ours before we burn the village and carry off all the breeders and brats...anyone who stood against will die in agony in our fires!”

This last brought an extra loud 'whoop' from the mouths of the chiefs, now, Britney told herself, she had done the pep talk so now she could get on with the serious stuff.

“This is what we'll do...”

0=0=0=0

“Friends,” Amanda sat on the ground in a circle with her sister slayers, Diaz and the senior militia fighters, “I wish I had some stirring words to give you, I wish I could tell you that today would be the day we finally defeat our foes, but I can't.” Amanda shook her head, “Today when the Injuns ride out of that wood,” she pointed across the field to where thin columns of smoke rose from Injun camp fires, “they will be coming to kill and destroy and they won't stop until we're all dead and the village is in flames...”

“There's aways the slim possibility that we'll win,” Molly observed with a grin.

“Yeah,” Buffy agreed, “they aren't that tough...I mean I've fought tougher by myself like when those knight guys came after my sister...”

“Nights?” Emma asked.

“Guys?” Molly questioned.

“Look,” Buffy signed knowing she'd said too much, “if we're still alive tomorrow I'll totally tell you all about it.”

“Buffy's 'nights' aside,” Amanda continued, “we're in for a hard fight today, so...same plan as yesterday, stick to your posts and fight like furies!”

“Do you still want us to let them into the village a few at a time?” Buffy wanted to know.

“Not at first,” Amanda shook her head, “perhaps later once we've worn them down a little more.”

“INJUNS!” cried the look out on top of the temple roof.

Turning they saw the woman pointing to the south.

“All right here we go,” Amanda stood up followed a heartbeat later by the others, “Diaz you command the south wall, Alyssa take the West Gate, Molly the East.” Finally Amanda turned to face Buffy and Emma, “you hold the Cliff Track, remember its our weakest point.”

“We'll remember,” Emma nodded.

“I'll stay here and command the reserve,” Amanda paused before taking a deep breath, “Good luck and may The Mother and all the Saints watch over you.”

0=0=0=0

Riding out of the wood, Britney pulled her horse over to one side and watched as the parties that were going to attack the villager's east and southern defences split off from the main force and headed for their objectives. Satisfied that everyone was doing as they'd been told she led the force detailed to attack the west of the village and her own group off towards the west. Once she'd split off the group who'd attack the gate, she'd take her larger force behind the village and attack the north side where the defences seemed weakest.

Today Britney had ordered that there wouldn't be any wild attacks on the villager's defences. The three parties were to keep the farmers occupied so they couldn't move their forces around. The villager's had interior lines of communication which meant they could reinforce a threatened sector quicker than she'd be able to reinforce any break through. Her forces would have to ride around the village, while the farmers could simply run to a threatened point and be waiting for any new attack.

So there'd be no real attack. The three sub-chiefs she'd put in charge had been told to make it look as if they were going to attack but not actually do so. Their job was to pin the farmers to their barricades. With her bigger force, Britney planned to break into the village which would be the signal for the other teams to attack in earnest. Watching as the last group split off, Britney led her own warriors up the road to the heights overlooking the village. Once in position and with the farmers distracted and fearful, she'd fall on them like the wrath of The First!

0=0=0=0

“Here they come!” Diaz called as she peered over the top of the barricade and saw about a dozen Injuns galloping across the fields towards the river, “No one move until I give the order.”

Notching her first arrow to her bow, Diaz studied the Injuns as they rode closer, she'd expected to be attacked by a larger force, but maybe there weren't as many savages as they'd feared. Whatever the reason for their lack of numbers, Diaz was grateful. Even after their victory of yesterday the militia was still a little nervous of the Injuns, it would take more than one small victory to make them veterans.

“Here they come!” Diaz drew her bow string back until she was kissing the string, aiming at the lead warrior she was expecting them to try and charge across the river like they had the day before, but they didn't.

So surprised that she almost forgot to shoot, Diaz watched as the Injuns turned to their right and galloped along the river bank shooting their own arrows at the defences. Suddenly remembering what she was supposed to be doing, she loosed off her arrow and watched as it missed the lead rider by a hands breath.

“Bugger!” Diaz cursed as she notched another arrow; glancing to her left and right she saw the militia women look to her for some explanation of these unexpected events, “Looks like we scared them so much yesterday that they don't want to fight us today, people!”

There was a weak cheer from the militia as Diaz popped up again, drew, aimed and loosed her arrow. This time it struck a horse on the rump making it buck and kick enough to unseat its rider. Quickly drawing another arrow she loosed it and watched as it hit the Injun in the back as she tried to get out from under her horse.

0=0=0=0

“How good are you with that bow?” Emma asked as she and Buffy waited for the Injuns as they stood on the track way.

“You know?” Buffy shrugged, “I'm a slayer so I know what I'm doing, the bow's not really my weapon, I like swords an' axes best.”

“Shoot the horses,” Emma ordered.

“What?” Buffy turned to her friend and frowned, “That seems a little cruel, I mean its not the horse's fault they're attacking us.”

“If you shoot down the horses that means you take out the riders too,” Emma explained.

“I don't see how that'll...”

“You try fighting with half a ton of horse on top of you,” Emma pointed out.

“Oh...” Buffy realised that Emma was talking sense, even if it did mean she'd have to shoot the horses.

“And the dead horses will make an obstacle,” Emma pointed out.

“Yeah,” Buffy agreed she could see it all now, it would be unpleasant but it was the most sensible thing to do, “I get it...”

“Listen...” Emma held up her hand for silence, “...I think they're coming.”

Listening carefully, Buffy could hear the sound of hoof beats on the High Road above the village, she took an arrow from the quiver that hung from her waist belt and put it to her bow string. A longbow made for a slayer had a pull of well over two-hundred pounds. A slayer could pull much more than that, but the wooden bows could only take so much strain before they would break. However the arrows, each nearly forty inches long and with the needle like 'bodkin' point would go straight through a human and bury themselves up to the fletchings in a horse. An average slayer archer could loose off twelve aimed shafts in a minute which was just as well because Buffy and Emma were defending the track by themselves. The militia were off defending the barricades between the houses.

“Here they come!” Buffy took up her archers stance as she heard the Injuns began to whoop and yell as they started to ride down the track towards them.

“Make every arrow count,” Emma said quietly as she drew her arrow back to her ear.

“No showing off, huh?” Buffy brought up her own bow just as the Injuns appeared from around a slight bend in the track about fifty yards away.

“SHOOT!” Emma cried as she loosed off her first shaft; the arrow buried itself in the chest of the leading horse.

Screaming and spraying blood from its mouth and nostrils the horse's front legs gave way and it crashed to the ground sending its rider flying over its head. Loosing a heartbeat later, Buffy's arrow brought down another horse and rider. The second rider was luckier than the first and was able to save herself by almost stepping from the back of her dying horse onto the track. It didn't do her any good because Buffy's second arrow hit her between the breasts and went right through her. Within seconds Buffy and Emma loosed off another arrow each bringing down two more horses and riders.

0=0=0=0

“BACK! BACK!” Britney yelled; in as many heartbeats she'd lost four warriors and their horses, she didn't have enough warriors to waste them in pointless frontal attacks on what had to be slayers, it was time to re-think her plan.

“Dismount!” Britney called to her surviving braves, “We'll move through the woods and get into the village that way, their slayers can't be everywhere.”

0=0=0=0

“That was easy,” Buffy observed as she and Emma waited for the Injuns to renew their attack, “maybe too easy.”

“They'll come through the trees next and attack the barricades between the houses,” Emma explained.

“Shouldn't we go and help?”

“And let them through here?” Emma gestured to the dead horses and riders.

“Oh yeah,” Buffy agreed before taking a deep breath, “look, I've never been any good at strategy...”

“Tactics,” Emma corrected.

“What?”

“Tactics...”

“Whatever...” Buffy signed, “...I've never been good at it...just tell me what to do and I'll do it, okay?”

“Well, for now we'll stay right here...”

0=0=0=0

Over at the West Gate, Alyssa kept the Injuns back from the barricade with carefully aimed shots from her bow as the two dead Injuns proved where they lay on the damp earth in front of the gate.

“Here,” Piper passed Alyssa another arrow from the quiver she held; she was scared to stand out here in full view of the Injun warriors but it was better than being in the temple and not knowing what was happening.

“Thanks,” Alyssa took the arrow, notched it, drew and loosed all in one fluid motion; the arrow flew through the air like a dark blur to strike an Injun in the leg, the woman screamed as she fell before being dragged to safety by one of her comrades, “Arrow!” Alyssa called as she held out her hand.

Before Piper could put a fresh arrow in her lover's hand half a dozen Injun arrows sailed over the barricade. Crouching and putting her head down, Alyssa felt the arrows rattle off her armour, Injun bows weren't that powerful as they were designed to be used from horseback. Her armour would easily protect her. Standing up once the arrow storm had passed, she looked around for Piper and another arrow. Gasping in horror Alyssa saw the village girl lying on the ground with an arrow sticking out of her chest.

“HELP!” she yelled to the militia who were sheltering nearby, “Get her to the priestess...NOW!”

0=0=0=0


	17. Chapter 17

**Sunnidee.**

“Damn them to the hellmouth,” Diaz growled as she looked through one of her loopholes searching for a target.

After riding up and down the opposite bank of the river shooting off the occasional arrow at the defenders, the Injuns had dismounted and taken cover about fifty yards away from the barricade. From this new position they'd kept up a steady stream of missiles. Although none of the militia had been hit, the Injun arrows did keep their heads down. As Diaz and Ruby Elliedotter were the only defenders with bows they could hardly get into an archery duel with the savages who had to have five or six archers. Seeing an Injun move position, Diaz drew her bow string back to her lips and let fly at the warrior. Her arrow flew through the loophole and sailed right over the brave's head missing her by a foot or more.

“Crap!” Diaz cursed, she was loosing off arrows to no effect and she didn't have that many to waste.

Although the Injuns were shooting plenty of arrows into the village that could be retrieved and sent back to their original owners, the Injun arrows weren't as well made, or even as straight as her own. Looking up and down the line of the barricade, Diaz looked for a better position from which she could shoot at the Injuns. Moving towards the road where it had crossed the river, Diaz hunkered down behind the pile of timbers that had once been the bridge. They'd not been able to add them to the barricade because the Injuns had arrived sooner than they'd expected the previous day and they'd not had much time to do anything with them since.

Taking another arrow from her quiver, Diaz notched it on her string before peeping over the pile of timbers. Another Injun was running from one spot to another, she made a perfect target. Standing up, Diaz stepped up onto the pile of wood, this gave her a couple of more feet of elevation and a better view of the Injun who was running. Drawing back her bowstring, Diaz was just about the loose off her arrow when a mule kicked her in the chest! At least that's what it felt like to her. Dropping her bow Diaz fell backwards and hit the ground with a bone jarring jolt. Groaning loudly, she lay on her back and tried to work out what had happened. Looking down at herself she saw no blood but her breast plate had a big dent in it and it hurt ever time she breathed too deeply.

“You were shot!” cried Camila Keyleedotter who was one of the women helping defend the barricade; she knelt next to Diaz with her younger sister, Lucy.

“A gun?” Diaz asked as a shooting pain lanced through her chest.

“Where are you hit?” Lucy asked as she started to unbuckle Diaz's breast plate.

“Ribs on the left,” Diaz groaned, “I think a couple are broken.”

“Is she bleeding?” Camila asked her sister.

“No,” the younger woman withdrew her hand from under Diaz's armour to find there was no blood.

“Good,” Camila sighed with relief, “but we better get her to the priestess.”

The two young women grabbed hold of Diaz's arms and started to drag her away towards the temple.

“Nooooooooo!” Diaz wailed in pain, “You're not taking me anywhere until this fight is over...”

“But you can't fight,” Lucy pointed out, “and what if you're bleeding inside?”

“Then I'm dead anyway,” Diaz pointed out, “there,” she pointed to the wall of a house just behind the barricade, “sit me down there where I can watch what's going on, right?”

“Okay,” the two women gave each other an uncertain glance, “but if the Injuns get in you'll be killed easily.”

“But the Injuns aren't going to get in,” Diaz treated the two women to her best policewoman's glare, “are they?”

0=0=0=0

Leading about twelve braves and demons between the trees, Britney Long-Spear stood behind a tree for a moment and signalled her warriors to halt. After the minor defeat at the track, Britney had decided she'd never get by the two bow armed slayers so she'd ordered her warriors to dismount and attack on foot. After some hesitation the braves had obeyed their chief, they didn't like to fight on foot, but would if they were ordered to.

Britney had split her force in two, the main force she'd led towards the closest houses, the smaller force she'd left to watch the track but only to attack if one or both of the slayers left their posts. Satisfied that she was on the right track, Britney drew her knife and tomahawk and signalled her braves forward. Aiming towards a gap between two houses, Britney quickly found her way blocked by a jumble of sharpened branches jammed into the gap between the buildings. The defences were too 'springy' to climb over, but too dense to push your way through; Britney quickly saw that they'd have to pull the obstacle apart if they wanted to gain access to the village.

However, as soon as the first braves laid a hand on the branches to pull them out of the way there was a shout from the other side of the barricade and spear points started thrusting out from the defences. There was a scream as one of Britney's braves stumbled back from the barricade clutching at her face, blood poured from under her hand from a ruined eye-socket. Jumping back, Britney was just able to bring her tomahawk up and around to knock the spear away that was reaching for her own face.

The Injun braves started to whoop and yell as the hacked at the spear point that were being thrust towards them while they tried to cut their way through the barricade. Stepping back out of range of the spears, Britney returned her knife and tomahawk to her belt before taking the gun off her back. The weapon was about two and a half feet long, it had no butt as it was designed to be held in two hands and fired from the back of a horse. Checking that the lock was at half-cock, Britney flipped open the priming pan to make sure it was full of powder. Satisfied she closed the pan and brought the hammer back to full cock.

Clutching her weapon, Britney rushed up to the barricade and dodged a spear-point before thrusting her own weapon, single handedly in between the branches, she pulled the trigger. Abruptly the world was full of white smoke and the impossibly loud noise of the charge igniting. The gun had been loaded with half a dozen buck shot that now spread out as they flew from the gun's muzzle. There was a scream like a pig being slaughtered as one of the farmers took the full force of the blast. There were also cries of despair as the defenders saw what had happened and fell back.

“HURRY!” Britney yelled at her warriors who appeared to be almost as shocked by the sound of the gun as the defenders, “Move this stuff before they come back!”

While the warriors hacked and dragged the branches out of the way, Britney reloaded her gun, she wanted it fully primed because she was guessing that the sound of the gun shot would bring a slayer to investigate.

0=0=0=0

“GUN!” Buffy and Emma cried at the same time.

“It came from over there,” Emma pointed to their right.

“I'll go,” Buffy volunteered; she unbuckled the belt that held her quiver, “here take these you're totally better with a bow than I am.”

“You're sure?” Emma asked as she accepted the extra arrows.

“No problemo,” Buffy reassured her as she drew her sabre, “won't be long!”

Turning Buffy made her way around the house that stood next to the track and then made her way along the narrow path between two more houses. As she moved she could hear the triumphant yells of Injuns and the screams of the militia as they were either killed or ran for their lives. Turning a corner, Buffy almost ran full speed into a fleeing villager, she grabbed the woman by her shoulders and shook her as she gazed into her terrified eyes.

“Where are they?” Buffy demanded; the woman pointed speechlessly behind her before pulling herself from Buffy's grip and running for the supposed safety of the temple.

Pushing on, Buffy met other survivors, however these didn't seem to be panicking so much, “Rally behind Emma on the track!” Buffy didn't know whether the women heard her or obeyed her, she had other things on her mind. Turning into the wide gap between two houses, Buffy came face-to-face with half a dozen victorious Injuns. They'd hacked a way through the barricade and were now forcing themselves into the village proper. In a flash Buffy saw the bodies of three militia women lying on the ground, there was also a dead Injun pinned to the earth with a spear through her stomach. Shouting loudly in an attempt to shock and disorientate her foes, Buffy raised her sabre and charged into the middle of the group of Injuns.

Swinging her blade in a long arc, Buffy took the head off the first Injun to attack her. The surviving braves yelled loudly and tried to swarm attack her, hoping that at least one of them would get past the slayer's deadly weapon and kill her. Moving as if she was taking part in some sort of bloodthirsty ballet, Buffy moved with a deadly grace. Her sabre cutting long bloody arcs through the air as she cut down the Injun warriors and demons, or parried their frantic attempts at killing her.

0=0=0=0

On the other side of what remained of the barricade, Britney quickly saw which way the fight was going. It would gain them nothing if she lead her last four braves into the fight with the slayer, it would be quicker and easier if they just killed themselves, whatever they did the result would be the same, they'd all end up dead. Raising her gun, Britney fired and watched the slayer disappear behind a fog bank of powder smoke.

“Follow me!” she told her last few warriors.

Slinging her gun back across her back, Britney ran at the house next to the alley, she jumped and grabbed hold of the overhanging roof. Pulling herself up she ran across the wooden tiles until she could look down into the village; she'd got herself and at least some of her warriors inside the village, now she could win!

0=0=0=0

Standing alone in the middle of the track, Emma listened to the fight going on to her right. Another shot rang out and for a moment she could almost feel the bullet as it hit Buffy's head. Torn between her duty to the village and the need to go to the aid of her friend, Emma was distracted long enough not to notice the Injuns jump down onto the track way only half a dozen yards up slope from her.

Turning at the sound of Injun war-cries, Emma lifted her bow and shot the closest warrior through the eye, the point of the arrow going clean through her head and coming out the other side. Casting her bow aside, Emma drew her sword and cut down another warrior who was coming at her leading with a lance. The Injun ran passed her, her head bouncing on her shoulders only attached to her body by a thin strip of skin and muscle. Recovering her sabre and coming en garde again, Emma found herself facing a short, squat, muscular looking demon with a face like a bull and with big sharp looking horns growing from the sides of its head. 

Roaring the demon put its head down and rushed at the slayer. Deftly stepping to one side, Emma thrust with her sword. The point of her weapon entered the demon's back just behind its shoulder blades. Giving a great bellow of rage, pain and surprise the demon slumped to its knees before falling to lie panting on the track's surface. Pulling her sword free from the body of the demon, Emma turned to face the two remaining Injun braves. As she turned she found herself looking down the cavernous maw of the musket that was pointed at her head. 

Before Emma could even cry out in alarm, the warrior pulled the trigger, the hammer fell as the flint struck sparks and ignited the powder in the priming pan. The last thing Emma registered was a bright yellow flash before the world turned black and the point-seven-five inch musket ball blew her head clean off.

“Head shots,” announced the Injun musketeer to her friend as she started to reload her weapon, “not even a slayer can survive a head shot.”

0=0=0=0

Climbing unsteadily to her feet, Buffy shook her head in an attempt to rid it of the loud ringing in her ears and immediately wished she hadn't. 

“Oww!” Buffy's hand went to her forehead automatically, it came away bloody, “Damn it...shot again!”

Now she was upright she found she was alone with no one to hear her but the dead. The Injun had fired her gun right into her face but had some how managed to miss, well at least not blow her head off. As there was no enemy in sight and no militia around, Buffy decided it was time to go check on Emma at the track, it would be just like the Injuns to attack while she was away.

0=0=0=0

Standing up, Sally Walking-Wolf tried to see over the barricade; she'd been sent to attack the western entrance of the village, if you could call it an 'attack'. Her orders were to keep the defenders pinned to their defences so they couldn't move fighters to reinforce other parts of the perimeter. But, these orders didn't sit well with Sally, she was a hard charger, something that had always served her well in the more open warfare the Injuns preferred. All her instincts were telling her to attack, in fact it seemed to Sally that her instincts were right, no more arrows flew over the barricade from the village side, perhaps now was the time to attack.

“Layla!” Sally called to the brave that carried her party's gun, “We're going over the top, if you see that accursed slayer make sure you blow her head off with the first shot. Once their slayer is dead the farmers will run!” 

With a loud war-whoop, Sally led her warriors forward.

0=0=0=0

Torn between wanting to take Piper to the temple and her duty, Alyssa stood in momentary confusion. It was only when she heard the yells of the Injun braves that she started to think straight again.

“Militia to me!” she cried as she stood in the road between two houses, her little force scurried out of cover and came to stand next to her, “Line up here!” Alyssa called as she drew a line in the dirt with the tip of her sabre. “The Injuns are attacking, but we're not going to fight them at the gate,” she explained as the militia got into line and set their spears ready to receive the attack. “We'll let them climb over the gate and then we'll charge and slaughter them up against the barricade!”

The militia women eyed each other uncertainly then eyed their slayer with more than a little trepidation; hadn't they worked long and hard on the defences to keep the Injuns out? What had been the point if they were only going to let the enemy in? However, their slayer looked and sounded determined enough so perhaps she knew what she was doing.

“Advance spears!” Alyssa commanded as the first three or four Injuns jumped down into the village from the gate; the militia's spears came up to shoulder height and were pointed unwaveringly at the Injuns, “Prepare to advance!”

0=0=0=0

Instead of jumping down off the wagon with the others, Layla Jumping-Fish stayed on top of the stone filled wagon and readied her musket. Her hands moved over the weapon without need for her her to watch what she was doing, long hours spent practising meant she knew exactly what she was doing. Instead she watched for the slayer and there she was standing to one side of the raged line of farmers and their spears, she was easily recognisable as she was the only one wearing armour. Smiling, Layla lifted her weapon and sighted along the top of the barrel.

Seeing the slayer cleanly in her sight line, Layla pulled the trigger, the flint snapped forward and ignited the charge. The musket kicked her shoulder viciously and for a moment she was blinded by the cloud of powder smoke between herself and her target. As if her gun shot had been some sort of signal, Sally led the warriors forwards in a mad charge just as the militia started to advance. As the smoke cleared, Layla saw the two lines collide, she also saw that she'd missed her target.

Running towards the wall of spear points, Sally was overtaken by the feeling that she'd made a very bad mistake. The farmers hadn't fled and their slayer was still alive. For all their ferocity the Injuns were hampered by the fact that the militia's spears were longer than even the brave's lances. The farmers also moved forward together like they were all some sort of multi-part animal thrusting their spears together as they stepped forward together. First one brave fell then another, all without lose to the farmers, their slayer wasn't even fighting, she was standing behind the farmers yelling orders and shouting encouragement.

This was a new type of warfare where leaders didn't always lead from the front and Sally didn't like it. Hacking at the spear points that thrust towards her she could feel her own warriors start to hesitate, they'd lost four warriors dead for one farmer wounded. It was inevitable that first one then another brave would turn to run back towards the gate. Very soon, Sally Walking-Wolf found herself facing the farmer's spears alone. Knocking the thrusting points away with her knife and tomahawk, Sally felt the spears she'd missed stab into her flesh. With a loud shout the farmers surged forward knocking her off her feet. Lying on the ground she gazed up in shock and terror as the farmers she'd despised so much stood or ran over her. Trying to crawl away she felt someone grab her and throw her onto her back. Starring up into the face of the triumphant young farmer, Sally saw her raise her ma-chet before she brought it down on Sally's head and sent her to the happy hunting grounds.

“FORWARD! FORWARD!” Alyssa cried, “Kill them all! Don't let them escape,” with a cheer the militia ran forward to slaughter the Injuns as they tried to climb to safety.

0=0=0=0


	18. Chapter 18

**The Final Fight.**

Standing on the raised platform next to the whipping post in the village square, Amanda smiled to herself. It appeared that things were going well for the villagers and the slayers. In the south the Injuns seemed content to stay on their side of the river and shoot arrows and the occasional musket ball at the defenders. To the east, Molly reported that it looked like the warriors, after making one half hearted assault on the gate, had left. While to the west, Alyssa and her militia women had massacred the Injuns who'd climbed over the defences and into the village. It was only the north that was giving Amanda any concern; she had hoped to have used the north as a trap to suck the Injuns into the village where they could be surrounded and destroyed, but it seemed that things hadn't turned out as she'd hoped.

“Khloe, Naomi!” Amanda called two of her militia women forward, the two women trotted over to stand in front of her, “Go to Miss Molly and Alyssa, ask them to come here if they think its safe for them to leave their posts, understand?”

“Yes!” the two young women replied before turning and sprinting off to deliver their messages.

It was time to do something about the Injuns on the north side of the village.

0=0=0=0

Resting against the wall of a house, Britney Long-Spear rammed home a charge down the barrel of her gun. As she'd suspected the attack on the village had been a disaster, if the loses her own force had received was anything to go by there couldn't be more than half of the warband left alive. For a moment she wondered if she could have done anything differently, a mass attack on one part of the village for instance. No, she shook her head as she poured powder into the priming pan, an attack like that would allow the defenders to concentrate their own forces. The truth of the matter was she'd underestimated the farmer's fighting spirit. But who'd have suspected that mere farmers could fight so fiercely? Looking to her left and right, Britney saw she had about twelve warriors with her, from what she'd been told the others had either been killed or had run off. However twelve warriors should still be enough to salvage some honour from this fight, she'd just have to be careful how she handled things. Hefting her gun in her hands Britney signalled her braves to follow her.

0=0=0=0

Taking her hand from her forehead, Buffy saw the blood on her fingers, it didn't look too bad, she'd recover, she'd survived worse. A rueful smile came to her lips, she'd survived death a couple of times so a bang on the head was nothing. Taking a firmer grip on her sabre she walked into the village square, she'd not been sure what she'd expected to find but the sight that greeted her eyes filled her heart with hope. In her own little part of the battle she'd seen Emma's dead body, the militia had run away and she'd been injured, she'd imagined the same sort of thing had happened on the other fronts. Now she could see she'd got it all wrong; there stood Amanda, Molly and Alyssa at the head of at least half of the militia who were all standing there with their spears grasped firmly in their hands. Straightening her back and scolding herself for thinking uncharitable thoughts about the fighting spirit of the farmers, Buffy marched over to greet Amanda and her sister slayers.

0=0=0=0

Having picked up several more warriors, Britney was feeling a little more confident about the outcome of the battle, they could still win, particularly as two of the warriors she'd found had muskets. They might still be able to defeat the slayers and their farmers, loot and burn the village, before carrying off the young girls so they could supply the tribe with more braves. But to achieve this she'd need to be careful and not throw away the lives of her warriors in a pointless charge.

“Stella, Brianna,” Britney called the two musket armed warriors over to her, “when we find the enemy your job will be to shoot down the slayer bitches... Bows,” Britney next turned to the five braves with bows, “you're to shoot down as many of the farmers as you can, the rest,” she turned to look at her remaining warriors, “you only charge when I give the signal, understand?”

The warriors nodded their heads, some looked frightened other's looked angry. However the warriors looked or felt their world view had been shaken by the farmers fighting back. Farmers were for stealing from, their villages were for looting and burning, their young women were for breeding new braves. Farmers didn't fight back, but these had and so they must be destroyed before word of their defiance spread to other villages.

“Britney! Britney!” cried a scout breathlessly as she ran between the houses towards her chief.

“You've found the farmers?” Britney demanded.

“Yes,” the girl nodded, “some still guard the way into the village but most are now in the opening in the centre of the village.”

“How many?” Britney demanded.

“Three or four hands,” the girl replied eagerly, “and their slayers...”

“How many slayers?”

“Three that I saw plus another fighter...” the scout paused for a moment before adding, “...one of their slayers looks injured.”

“Good,” Britney smiled,; if she could destroy this force the rest would run and the village would be at her mercy, “Follow me sisters!”

0=0=0=0

“You better let Tara look at that cut,” Amanda told Buffy once she'd joined the group.

“I'll be fine,” Buffy reassured the older slayer, “I've had worse...”

“All the same I want you to let Tara put a dressing on it...”

“Okay, okay,” Buffy sighed, “you're totally as bad as my mother...did we win?”

“Looks like it,” Amanda nodded, “we defeated them to the south, west and east the only place they got in was to the north...”

“Yeah like, sorry about that,” Buffy looked at the ground, she'd failed to keep the Injuns out and her friend had died.

“It's not your fault,” Molly spoke up as she rested on her bow.

“No its not,” Amanda agreed, “I planned for the north side to be the weakest to let the Injuns in and it looks as if I got my way, but not quite how I planed it.”

“So, what do we do now?” Buffy wanted to know.

“We'll sweep through the village,” Amanda pointed to the north side of the settlement, “and kill or drive off any surviving Injuns...”

Amanda was interrupted by the sound of two gun shots. There was a surprised yelp as a ball struck Alyssa and she fell to the ground. The gunshots were followed by a hail of arrows which hit three of the militia, two were killed outright while the third staggered back into one of her sisters before slumping to the dusty ground.

“THERE!” Amanda pointed at the group of Injuns who'd appeared from around a house on the north side of the village, “Archers shoot!”

There were three bow armed militia in the group who started to notch arrows to their strings at Amanda's order. But, before they'd loosed off even one arrow, Molly had sent two towards the Injuns, both arrows hit their targets killing the Injun archers. Another volley of gunfire split the air but this time no one was hit.

“Form up! Form up!” Amanda cried as she and Buffy pushed the surviving militia into a block, “Prepare to advance!” spear points were lowered to point at the Injuns, “ADVANCE!”

No sooner had the order been given than a mass of Injuns erupted from behind the house the archers had been using as cover. Whooping and yelling their war-cries the Injuns charged at the militia brandishing their weapons in the air. In less than five heartbeats the two sides collied with a crash. Screams filled the air as Injun and farmer exchanged blows and spear thrusts. For a moment the militia faltered, but after the initial shock of the Injun attack had spent itself, the militia slowly started to grind forward as the warriors fell to the farmer's longer weapons.

“Shouldn't we be fighting?” Buffy called over the sound of clashing weapons and screams; the three remaining slayers were to one side of the fight and not actively engaged.

“No!” Amanda called, “Not yet, the villagers must win this fight by themselves!”

Slowly the thrusting spears forced the Injuns back until their ranks broke.

“NOW!” Amanda yelled as she started forward, “ATTACK! DON'T LET THEM STAND!”

Leading Buffy and Molly forward, Amanda crashed into the scattering ranks of the Injuns. The militia formation broke up as two or three militia women charged after individual Injuns determined not to let any of them escape. For their part the Injuns only thought of flight as they tried to save themselves from the vengeful farmers. Standing in the doorway of the temple, her bloody arm hanging uselessly by her side, Alyssa gripped her sabre and fought off a wave of nausea, it wouldn't do to throw-up just now.

“Come on!” she called to the faces that stared up at her from the interior of the temple, “Grab weapons, your sisters, aunts and mothers need your help...FOLLOW ME!”

Standing as one a group of teenage girls mixed with a few older women picked up farm implements and followed the young slayer out into the daylight. Screaming like demons they fell on the few surviving Injuns from behind, hacking at them with shovels and hoes. One by one the Injuns fell to either the militia's spear thrusts or the villager's improvised weapons. A few Injuns tried to surrender, but they were hacked to pieces by the furious villagers, they'd suffered too much at the hands of the Injuns to show them any mercy. Most of the warriors fought until they were cut down. Turning away from the fight for a moment, movement caught Buffy's eye as something moved over by the temple, she saw an Injun with a lot of feathers in her hair and clutching a gun run into the building.

“HEY!” Buffy called trying to attract someone's attention, she pointed towards the temple, “Look...” But no one did, they were all too busy killing the last surviving Injuns, “Looks like its up to me...” she told herself as she ran towards the temple.

0=0=0=0

Everything had turned to crap, Britney cursed internally as she burst into the temple. Hearing the cries of fear at her appearance, she smiled, at least she could still strike fear into the hearts of these...of these? Looking at all the frightened faces turned towards her Britney laughed bitterly, nothing but pregnant and old women, all the youngsters were out killing her few remaining warriors. As she started to pour powder down the barrel of her gun, Britney realised that if she survived this battle she could never go back to her tribe. The tribe wouldn't just let the beasts ride her, they'd let the beasts kill her!

Shot followed powder down the barrel of her gun as Britney stood to one side of the door and looked outside. Her last few braves were being hacked down and one of the slayers had obviously seen her and was trotting towards the temple. Quickly she primed her weapon and levelled it so she could shoot the slayer down as she came through the door.

“Give me your gun and surrender, I'll protect you.”

Britney turned to see the priestess standing only a few paces away, she didn't fire, it was bad medicine to kill a priestess of The Mother.

“You know that's not our way, Priestess,” Britney laughed bitterly, “what would these do to me?” she gestured at the villagers huddled behind the benches in the body of the temple, “They'd tear me apart with their bare hands whatever you said...” Britney glanced out into the open to see the slayer coming up the steps towards the door, “...this is the end!”

Stepping out into the open, Britney levelled her gun and fired. As the smoke from her discharge cleared she could see the holes in the slayer's armour and the blood that oozed from them, but the woman wasn't dead. Screaming in a mixture of fear, anger and frustration, Britney raised her gun like it was a club and ran at the slayer. Before she could bring her weapon down on the blonde slayer's head to dash out her brains, the slayer thrust with her sword driving the blade right through the chief's body, killing her cold stone dead.

0=0=0=0

Lying in Tara's arms, Buffy looked up at the pretty young priestess and smiled, she'd died often enough to know that it was happening to her again. Perhaps this time it would be permanent, but she doubted it. The gunshot wound didn't hurt, not like the last time she'd been shot and like when Meres had shot her she knew she was going to die...unless Willow turned up in the next few minutes and magicked the bullet out of her. Looking into the priestess' eyes, she smiled resignedly.

“Here we go again...” Buffy sighed and took a deep breath before letting it out again.

“I wonder what she meant?” Tara asked as Amanda, Molly and Alyssa ran up to stand over the little tableau.

“What?” Amanda asked, “What did she say?”

“She just said, 'Here we go again',” Tara laid Buffy's body down gently, “I wonder what she meant?”

0=0=0=0

“Well we survived again,” Molly said as she and Amanda looked up at the small hill where, Skyla, Emma, Buffy and all the dead militia women had been laid to rest.

It was now several days after the battle and the villagers were slowly going back to farming their land after they'd buried all the dead Injuns. Buffy hadn’t survived her gun shot wound even with Tara's medical expertise and her own slayer metabolism. 

“It'll never be the same here again,” Amanda observed, “with all the captured horses and loot this is a rich village now. They'll be able to buy new farm animals and a new beast...”

“Perhaps two,” Molly agreed with a grin, “they'll certainly be able to afford a Sheriff.”

Saying nothing Amanda gazed back at the village and wondered if she was doing the right thing by going back to Oxnade with Molly. Diaz was well on her way to recovering from her injuries and had somehow convinced the villagers to take her on as the village's sheriff.

“And with Alyssa living here,” Amanda pointed out, “no one will mess with these people for a long, long time.”

Alyssa had elected to stay at the village with her girlfriend Piper, once the two young women had fully healed from there wounds they would, no doubt, partner-up.

“We could stay,” Molly pointed out quietly as she walked over to the horses the villagers had given Amanda and herself.

“No,” Amanda sighed sadly, “No, after a year or so they'd start looking at us funny and wondering what we were still doing here, its best if we move on.” she laughed as she swung herself into the saddle, “No, the farmers always win in the end,” she settled herself more comfortably into her saddle, “they have the land...”

“They also have a Priestess, Sheriff, Slayer and an awful lot of loot!” Molly laughed as she too mounted her horse.

“True,” Amanda agreed, “but what do we have for shedding so much blood, huh?”

“Blood?” Molly scoffed as they slowly rode away from Sunnidee, “You hardly got a scratch...” she glanced at burial site, “...its poor Buffy who's the one who shed her blood.”

“What about, Skyla, Emma?” Amanda asked, “What about their blood, what good did this fight do them?”

“I don't know,” Molly admitted, “all I know is we have horses to ride so we don't have to walk and gold and silver in our purses so we can buy food and beer.”

“Perhaps its time to do more than fight and drink too much beer,” Amanda pointed out.

“Are you suggesting that we all settle down and partner-up?” Molly asked uncertainly.

“The settling down part yes,” Amanda looked at her friend and grinned, “but I wouldn't partner-up with you...” she looked at Molly and smiled, “...you're old, fat and ugly!”

“Bitch!” Molly laughed back, “You're no pretty picture yourself!”

“No, I was thinking of going back to Oxnade and maybe getting that girl...what was her name? Harmony...Melody? Symphony? Something like that, to live with me.”

“She's young enough to be your daughter,” Molly pointed out as they rode off between some trees and Sunnidee disappeared slowly behind them.

“That's the whole point, isn't it?” Amanda smirked.

“Well perhaps you're right,” Molly agreed, “we're rich, free and single lets see where The Mother leads us, huh?”

“Why not?” Amanda laughed again as she urged her horse into a gentle trot and started to recite part of her mother's old poem, “For its slayer this and slayer that and anything you please! But a slayer ain't a bloody fool, you bet the slayer sees...”

The End.


End file.
